Abstract
BackgroundPesticides are an agricultural chemical suspected to be a significant contributor to a global diabetes pandemic. The purpose of this study was to confirm previous findings of the link between diabetes and some agricultural pesticides and to identify the particular pesticides that are most likely to pose a risk of diabetes in the community.MethodsA population-based case-controlled study was conducted among residents in the Bang Rakam district of Phitsanulok Province in Thailand. Lifetime pesticide exposure and other relevant data were collected from 866 participating cases with diabetes mellitus and 1021 healthy controls.ResultsAfter adjusting for gender, age, BMI, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, family history of diabetes, and occupation, it was found that the prevalence of diabetes was positively associated with exposure to all types of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and molluscicides, with exposure to rodenticides being statistically significant (OR = 1.35; 95%CI 1.04–1.76). Among 35 individual brand-named pesticides investigated, we found statistically significant ORs with three insecticides, including one organochlorine [endosulfan (OR = 1.40; 95%CI 1.01–1.95)], one organophosphate [mevinphos (OR = 2.22; 95%CI 1.17–4.19)], and one carbamate [carbaryl/Sevin (OR = 1.50; 95%CI 1.02–2.19)]; and one fungicides [benlate (OR = 2.08; 95%CI 1.03–4.20)].ConclusionsOur results suggest that the occurrence of diabetes among Thai farmer was associated with pesticide exposure. This finding is in line with previous epidemiological and animal studies. Further study using a larger sample size is needed to confirm the relationship and to identify the more toxic compounds.
Highlights
Pesticides are an agricultural chemical suspected to be a significant contributor to a global diabetes pandemic
In an Agricultural Health Study (AHS) project in the USA, a large cohort study of 33,457 pesticide applicators reported an association between diabetes and seven organochlorine pesticides, including aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor, and Juntarawijit and Juntarawijit Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (2018) 23:3 cyanazine [14]
The two groups of subjects had no difference in lifestyle, ever exercise during the past 12 months, and frequency of TV watching during leisure time; and an amount of vegetable, fruit, and sweet intake
Summary
Pesticides are an agricultural chemical suspected to be a significant contributor to a global diabetes pandemic. In an Agricultural Health Study (AHS) project in the USA, a large cohort study of 33,457 pesticide applicators reported an association between diabetes and seven organochlorine pesticides, including aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor, and Juntarawijit and Juntarawijit Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (2018) 23:3 cyanazine [14] Further study of this program using data of the wives of 13,637 pesticide applicators identified more diabetic risk compounds, including three organophosphates, including fonofos (OR = 1.56; 95%CI 1.11– 2.19), phorate (OR = 1.57; 95%CI 1.14–2.16), and parathion (OR = 1.61; 95%CI 1.05–2.46); one organochlorine, dieldrin (OR = 1.99; 95%CI 1.12–3.54); and one herbicide, 2,4,5-T/2,4,5-TP (OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.00–2.51) [15]. Another study using data from Native Americans found PCBs, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to be associated with diabetes [19]
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