Subjective Symptoms of Male Workers Linked to Occupational Pesticide Exposure on Coffee Plantations in the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic.

Hans-Peter Hutter,Hanns Moshammer,Peter Wallner,Lisbeth Weitensfelder,Michael Kundi,Kathrin Lemmerer,Michael Poteser

doi:10.3390/ijerph15102099

Hans-Peter Hutter, Hanns Moshammer + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102099

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Abstract

Acute and sub-acute effects of pesticide use in coffee farmers have rarely been investigated. In the present field study, self-reported health symptoms from 38 male pesticide users were compared to those of 33 organic farmers. Results of cytological findings have been reported in an accompanying paper in this issue. The present second part of the study comprises a questionnaire based survey for various, potentially pesticide related symptoms among the coffee farmers. Symptom rates were generally higher in exposed workers, reaching significance in nine out of 19 assessed symptoms. Significantly increased symptom frequencies were related to neurotoxicity, parasympathic effects and acetylcholine esterase inhibition, with the highest differences found for excessive salivation, dizziness and stomach ache. We revealed a lack of precautionary measures in the majority of farmers. Better education, regulations, and safety equipment are urgently needed.

Highlights

Exposure to pesticides poses one of the most important occupational risks to farmers in countries in the Global South (e.g., [1,2,3,4,5]), being associated with a wide range of symptoms and disorders including respiratory problems, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases or cancer (e.g., [6,7,8,9])aside from several biomarker changes (e.g., [10,11,12])
While China and the United States are the leading countries in pesticide use, occupational pesticide intoxications are frequently reported in farm workers of export oriented or agricultural mass products in the tropical zone, where high requirements on productivity and quality are challenged by climatically fostered abundance of fungi and other pests [15]
Thirty-eight farm workers exposed to pesticides and 33 non-exposed workers, in total 71 persons, were surveyed

Summary

Introduction

Exposure to pesticides poses one of the most important occupational risks to farmers in countries in the Global South (e.g., [1,2,3,4,5]), being associated with a wide range of symptoms and disorders including respiratory problems, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases or cancer (e.g., [6,7,8,9])aside from several biomarker changes (e.g., [10,11,12]). While China and the United States are the leading countries in pesticide use, occupational pesticide intoxications are frequently reported in farm workers of export oriented or agricultural mass products in the tropical zone, where high requirements on productivity and quality are challenged by climatically fostered abundance of fungi and other pests [15]. These parts of the world hold many developing and emerging countries, with often deficient or missing pesticide related regulative systems, legislation and education [15]. Field studies worldwide showed that misuse of pesticides in various sectors of agriculture is often associated with health problems and environmental contamination [16,17,18,19,20]

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Conclusion