Abstract
The objectives of the study were to evaluate the impact of pesticide exposure on farmer health during non-active rice farming and active rice farming periods and present the change in the individual cholinesterase activities (%reduction) on the geographic information system (GIS) mapping in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase (AChE and BuChE) activities were monitored during both study periods using Test-mate ChE (Model 400). The location of paddy fields was specified using Garmin geographic positioning system MAP 62s. Fifty-eight farmers who participated in this study had an average age of 49.2 ± 6.9 years. Higher prevalence of all health symptoms was observed among farmer participants during the active rice farming period comparing to the non-active rice farming period (p < 0.01). Furthermore, farmers had significantly lower activities of AChE and BuChE during the active rice farming period comparing to the non-active rice farming period (p < 0.01). Our findings indicate that the GIS mapping indicate that the cases with a significant enzyme inhibition have dispersed across the agricultural and the nearby residential areas. This, investigation can be used to promote safer use of pesticides among farmers and mitigate pesticide exposure among residents living in close proximity to a rice field.
Highlights
Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural sector to protect plants from insects and increase productivity
We evaluated the impact of pesticide exposure on farmer health and used geographic information system (GIS) mapping to overlay the change in cholinesterase activities observed from farmers during the active rice farming period on farming area in Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
Even though farmers generally use some form of protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves from pesticide exposure, the use of PPE is normally restricted by many factors such as insufficient accessibility, financial strain, lack of practical knowledge, and physical discomfort
Summary
Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural sector to protect plants from insects and increase productivity. It uses to track and map cases during a disease outbreak or a specific hazard event This recent technology can provide new opportunities to collect ecological data on agricultural pesticide exposure and visualize a pesticide poisoning pattern within a specific area. We evaluated the impact of pesticide exposure on farmer health and used GIS mapping to overlay the change in cholinesterase activities observed from farmers during the active rice farming period on farming area in Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Using this information, health protective guidelines for reducing pesticide exposure among farmers and those who live near farms can be developed
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