Literature Study: Overview of Cholinesterase Enzyme Activity in Horticultural Farmers Exposed to Organophosphates and Carbamates

Abstract

Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests and animals that cause damage to crops. Organophosphate and carbamate pesticides have the potential to cause poisoning for humans, including horticultural farmers. Farmers who experience poisoning will experience metabolic disorders of the enzyme cholinesterase in the blood. To determine the activity of the enzyme cholinesterase due to exposure to organophosphates and carbamates can use the Tintometer kit and Spectrophotometer. This scientific paper is made with a literature study method that discusses cholinesterase enzyme activity in horticultural farmers based on internal factors including gender, age, and knowledge then external factors including spraying frequency, working period, use of PPE, and length of spraying. This literature study used 18 journals in the publication year 2013 - 2023. Based on the results of the journal literature review, the danger of pesticide poisoning which results in a decrease in the activity of the enzyme cholinesterase in the blood of farmers will increase the longer farmers are exposed to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. The decrease in cholinesterase enzyme activity in horticultural farmers based on internal factors in farmers with age, gender, and low knowledge level. For external factors, there was a decrease in cholinesterase enzyme activity in farmers with a spraying frequency of >2 times a week, a working period of more than 5 years, farmers who used incomplete PPE and farmers who sprayed pesticides for more than 3 hours per day. Keywords: Organophosphate, Carbamate, Enzim Cholinesterase