Assessment of Adverse Health Effects Among Chronic Pesticide-Exposed Farm Workers in Sagar District of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Introduction: The extensive and injudicious use of pesticides in agriculture, household, veterinary practices, and occupational settings have increased the risk of human exposure and associated health effects. Objectives: In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the toxic symptoms, including neurological effects in pesticide-exposed farm workers. Methods: The data of exposure pattern and symptomatic health effects were collected through questionnaire distributed among 248 male farm workers by purposive sampling method from the district Sagar (MP), India. The mean value of chronic exposure index was 1.710 indicates that the farm workers were chronically exposed to hazardous pesticides. Results: Adverse health effects in farm workers including tingling (32.3%), muscle pain (51.6%), headache (56.5%), skin disease (19%), blurred vision (35.5%), tremor (23%), stress (24.2%), depression (15.3%), anxiety (44.7%), altered taste (21.4%), altered smell (31.4%), sleep disorder (39.5%), dizziness (66.1%), memory problems (29.4%), trouble in walking (8%), and cardiac problems (16.9%) were reported. The effects were more prominent in farmers who are smokers, residing at farm and store pesticide at home. In addition, the use of protective measures was not proper due to which the adverse effects were seen almost equal in most of the cases or even higher in some cases who reported to use protective measures. Conclusions: Farm workers are at the higher risk of exposure, as they are unaware and do not use proper protective measures for the same. Regular monitoring of occupational exposure by the regulatory agencies is necessary to minimize adverse health effects of pesticides.