• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2024

Objectives: The unsafe use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to human health. This study was conducted to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and health symptoms among chili farmers in northeast Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study included 141 chili farmers in Sakon Nakhon Province, in northeast Thailand. Data regarding health symptoms were gathered using a self-report questionnaire. A medical technician tested blood cholinesterase activity using an erythrocyte method, and an occupational medicine specialist at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand reviewed the results. Associations between personal characteristics, pesticide exposure factors, and health symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 141 chili farmers studied, 66.7% experienced pesticide poisoning, as indicated by below-normal cholinesterase levels. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom associated with pesticide exposure, affecting 37.6% of participants. This was followed by nausea and vomiting (31.9%), dizziness (14.9%), and dry throat (14.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were significantly associated with adverse symptoms: amount of work experience, volume of pesticides used, use of chemical pesticides, use of leaking containers during spraying, direct pesticide exposure while working, contact with pesticide-soaked clothing, consumption of food and drinks in the fields, and blood cholinesterase level indicating risk. Conclusions: This study suggests potential health risks for chili farmers stemming from exposure to and contamination by pesticides used in agricultural practices. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to supply personal protective equipment and to implement educational programs aimed at improving protective behaviors among farmers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.280-297
• /
• 2017

Objectives: We assessed pesticide exposure levels according to cultivation and crop type and investigated agricultural factors related to exposure. Methods: The participants, 341 male and 127 female farmers, were divided into three groups by cultivation crop type: chili greenhouse, cucumber greenhouse, and orchard. We collected questionnaires, socioeconomic characteristics and agricultural factors, and spot urine. Pesticide exposure was examined using four organophosphate and four pyrethroids urinary metabolites: dimethylphosphate, dimethylthiophosphate, diethylphosphate, diethylthiophosphate, Cis and Trans-3-(2-2dichlorovinyl)-2, 2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), Cis-3-(2-2dibrmovinyl)-2, and 2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid. Each metabolite was summed ${\Sigma}DAP$ and ${\Sigma}PY$ according to the chemical class. Results: Urinary metabolite detection rates and concentrations were similar between the greenhouse groups, but the orchard group was different. Similar 3-PBA detection rates were found in the three groups, but the geometric mean was very high in the orchard group compared to the two greenhouse groups. 3-PBA concentration in the orchard group was $4.11{\mu}g/g$ creatinine; the chili and cucumber greenhouse groups were 1.27 and $1.16{\mu}g/g$ creatinine, respectively. ${\Sigma}DAP$ was significantly associated with cultivation crop type and seasonal variation, but ${\Sigma}PY$ was not relevant. Conclusions: Our results suggest that cultivation and crop type may be correlated with different pesticide types and exposure levels. Furthermore, seasonal factors were related as potential factors influencing the level of organophosphate metabolites, but not for pyrethroid metabolites.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.199-206
• /
• 2016

Pesticides are widely used to prevent loss of agricultural production but extensive exposure can induce health problems to pesticide operators. This study was performed to evaluate the health risk of highly produced pesticides used in fruit growing farm land by comparison of estimated exposure level with AOEL using KO-POEM program. AOEL was driven based on NOAEL of each pesticide evaluated by JMPR, EFSA or KRDA. In calculation of exposure level, types of formulation, dilution factors, spraying duration and motor type and exposure protection device were allocated according to actual condition of use. Dermal absorption rate was differently applied among EFSA default values (25% or 75%), general default value (10%) or real test result values to know the plausibility of default values and safety of pesticide to operators in outline. Twenty pesticide ingredients (fungicides and insecticides) were produced more than 30 tons per year, which were mancozeb, chlorothalonil, imidaclopirid and etc in order. Dermal absorption rates obtained from studies were various from 0.07 to 81% but mostly under 10%. The estimated exposure levels showed big differences more than 10 times higher when using EFSA default rate and up to 5 times higher when using general rate of 10% comparing using rates of test results. Mancozeb, chlorthalonil, diazinon and chlorpyrifos presented still higher exposure level than AOEL even when using test absorption rate from study, which suggests that re-evaluation of AOEL or dermal exposure absorption rate or strict management are required for health protection of operators who use those four pesticides in farm land.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.245-263
• /
• 2000

This study was conducted to provide the basic data about the health effects of pesticide exposure among farmers for agricultural health study. We analyzed 412 self-administered questionnaires collected from the male farmers who spray pesticides in Kyoung-ju area, Korea. Survey questions were about chronic symptoms, acute symptoms while pesticide spraying, pesticide intoxication accident, safety rules, protective equipments etc. The correlations among the variables related to pesticide exposure and the factors in acute pesticide poisoning and chronic symptoms of farmers were also analyzed. For chronic symptoms, the prevalence of 'tiredness and languor', 'lumbago', 'nocturia', 'shoulder pain', 'numbness', and, for acute symptoms while pesticide spraying, the experience rate of 'itching sense of skin', 'dizziness/headache', 'fatigue', 'eye glaring' were high compared with other symptoms. For 'experience of intoxication accident by pesticide in family', 7.1% of the subjects experienced the accident and the causes were pesticide spraying, food contamination by pesticide, suicide etc. Among safety rules, 'take a bath after spraying', 'change clothes after spraying' were kept relatively well, and, for protective equipments, hat, boots, mask, gloves, protective clothes(lower) were put on relatively well. The factors associated with acute pesticide poisoning were the extent of keeping safety rules, spraying time, orchard cultivation, agricultural area and spraying days per year etc. And the factors associated with chronic symptoms were acute symptoms while pesticide spraying, agricultural area, farming career, extent of keeping safety rules, extent of agricultural work and the pesticide exposure index etc. From these results, it is suggested that to reduce the health effects by pesticide exposure among farmers, the education to promote to keep safety rules and wear protective equipments, and information services should be recommended. And further studies on the long term health effects of pesticide exposure among farmers are required.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.255-263
• /
• 1993

The demand of safety assessment for pesticide residues in foods is growing in Korea. In order to assess the actual dietary exposure toward pesticide residues, the problems in utilization of pesticide residue data were reviewed and optimization of food factors applicable to Korean population was conducted. The problems and current status in setting pesticide residue tolerance-domestic and foreign-in foods were also argued. The conclusion is summarized as follows: (1) Anticipated residue estimates(ARE) calculated from field trial residue data, the percentage of crop treated, and the effects of cooking or processing should be utilized for dietary exposure assessment in a real sense. (2) Average daily intake of total foods per person in Korea was 1,104g in 1970's and 1,240g in 1980's. Much variation was observed between the two decades by food commodities. (3) Pesticide residue tolerances in Korea have been established at relatively lower levels in comparison with FAO/WHO or western countries. More extensive studies and data accumulation as related to tolerance setting are called for in future for the sake of health protection and smooth interstate trade.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.300-304
• /
• 2016

The aim of this study were to evaluate the exposure level of pyrethroid pesticide according to spraying machine type. The urinary metabolites of pyrethroid pesticide in apple farmers were analyzed to determine the exposure level of pyrethroid pesticide. The result shows that, the spraying volume was greater in SS sprayer group than in power sprayer group. But multi variate analysis which adjust spraying volume and field area, there were no difference of urinary metabolites between two sprayer machine. To make more accurate model of pesticide exposure, the factors influencing pesticide exposure should be determined and further study should be done.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.41-46
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of biological monitoring to determine the factors that influence the effects of exposure to pyrethroid pesticides among highland cabbage farmers. Urine was collected from farmers who was cultivating Chinese cabbage in the relatively highground in Gangwon-do the morning following pesticide application and was analyzed for cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcy-clopropane carboxylic acid (DCCA) and 3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylic acid (DBCA). Factors affecting exposure to pesticides, such as wind speed, spraying location, and the use of protective gear, were also investigated. Statistical analysis was performed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Our analysis indicated that highland cabbage farmers were exposed to a higher level of pesticides than the general public or other types of farmers. When the wind speed was low, workers who sprayed pesticides were exposed to a higher level of pesticides compared to the exposure level in an assistant. However, there was no difference in exposure between the two when wind speed was high.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
• /
• 2002.05a
• /
• pp.139-142
• /
• 2002

This study carried out to evaluate TMDI(theoretical maximum daily intake) and EDI(estimated daily intake) for Korean by using MRLs, food intake, residue data, and correction factors and compare with ADI(acceptable daily intake) in order to estimate the health risk based on the pesticide exposure.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.64 no.6
• /
• pp.286-292
• /
• 2021

Background: The effect of exposure to environmental factors on autism spectrum disorders (ASD), especially during pregnancy, is unclear. Purpose: This meta-analysis investigated the association between exposure to pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during pregnancy and ASD risk among children. Methods: We searched Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ProQuest for articles published through September 2019. Random-effects models were used to examine the association among studies using pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). I2 tests were used to measure interstudy heterogeneity. Results: The pooled OR indicated a significant association between PCB and pesticide exposure during pregnancy and ASD risk among children (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.26-2.34; and OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39), respectively. Conclusion: Findings of the present study indicate that exposure to pesticides and PCBs during pregnancy may affect the risk of ASD among children.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.201-215
• /
• 1999

Limited information is available on the acceptability of Korean MRLs(maximum residue limits) and the health risk based on the pesticide exposure by food intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate TMDI(theoretical maximum daily intake) and EDI(estimated daily intake) for Korean by using MRLs, food intake, residue data, and correction factors, and compare with ADI(acceptable daily intake) in order to estimate the health risk based on the pesticide exposure. The study was performed in three steps. In the frist step, the residual pesticides in each category of food were investigated using the pesticide residue analytical data(1995-96) from officially approved organizations and the analytical data for poultry was adopted from Korean food code method. In the second step, TMDI was estimated from MRLs and food factors, and was compared with ADI. In the third step, the effectiveness of each culinary treatment (washing, peeling, steaming, boiling, and salting) was evaluated and EDI was calculated using pesticide residue data, food factor, and correction factor by treatment. TMDI obtained from MRLs and food intake, and food intake was summed as 1,100.99 g, which was 79.1% of total consumption. The percent ratio of TMDI to ADI for 156 pesticides was mostly below 80% and only 30 pesticides exceeded the ADI. In particular, non-treated EDI from pesticide residue data and food intake was summed up to about 43 $\mu\textrm{g}$/day/capita, and the rank was procymidone(8.6 $\mu\textrm{g}$) > maleic hydrazide(8.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$) > EPN(3.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$) > deltamethrin(3.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$) > cypermethrin(3.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$). The treated EDI calculated from pesticide residue data, food intake, and correction factor by culinary treatment was summed up to 13.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/day/captia. The percentage of ADI was TMDI(79.74%) > non-treated EDI (0.17%) > treated EDI (0.04%), and the exposure level of Korean population to whole pesticides was below the level to produce health risk. Oncogenic risk of five pesticides used in Korea whose oncogenic potency(Q*) was known were assessed from TMDI and treated EDI. Dietary oncogenic risk for Korean was estimated to be 2.0$\times$10-3 on the basis of TMDI, 8.3$\times$10-7 on the basis of treated EDI. The oncogenic risk from TMDI exceeded the risk level(1$\times$10-6) of EPA, whereas the oncogenic risk from treated EDI and real exposure level lower than that of EPA.