Pesticide Poisoning Research Articles

Evaluation Of Cholinesterase Levels In Vegetable Farmers In Pekanbaru

Pesticides are chemical substances to control and eradicate pests. However, pesticide residues hurt farmers indirectly. The level of pesticide poisoning in the body can be known by examining cholinesterase levels. This study aims to determine cholinesterase levels in the blood of vegetable farmers on Jalan Kartama, Pekanbaru City. The sampling technique used in this research is purposive sampling. The method used in this research is. The results of the examination showed that from 20 serum samples from farmers, 11 people (55%) had cholinesterase levels according to reference values ??(not poisoned) and 9 people (45%) had mild poisoning. Other factors that can cause a decrease in cholinesterase levels in the body are working period ? 5 years, spraying pesticides against the wind and using incomplete Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Therefore, vegetable farmers are expected to wear complete Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when spraying pesticides and spraying in the direction of the wind.

ORGANOPHOSPHORUS POISONING PRESENTING WITH EXTRAPYRAMIDAL INTERMEDIATE SYNDROME

Organophosphorus (OP) pesticide poisoning which is common in rural India, usually presents with acute cholinergic crisis, which is due to increased acetylcholine because of the inhibition of the enzyme acetyl-cholinesterase. Central Nervous System (CNS) manifestations are rare, and even rarer is the presentation with extrapyramidal symptoms. The authors report a case of organophosphorus poisoning presenting with torticollis 4 days after organophosphorus exposure. The patient had inhalational exposure to organophosphorus compound while spraying in the elds and developed intermediate syndrome 4 days later. But rather than having respiratory depression, the patient developed torticollis. The patient was successfully managed with Inj Pralidoxime and supportive care. We wish to bring awareness in the medical profession and the general public regarding this rare but life threatening presentation of organophosphorus poisoning.

Education on the Impact of Pesticide Exposure on the Health of Vegetable Farmers

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to prevent and eradicate plant pests that have the potential to interfere with agricultural output. Excessive use of pesticides without regard to applicable safety standards will have the opportunity to be directly exposed to dangerous pesticide active ingredients. This behavior can have a negative impact on health, one of which is pesticide poisoning. Most of the vegetable farmers in Garuda Sakti do not understand the dangers of pesticides, so education is needed about the impact of pesticides on health and the environment. This effort is made to increase farmers' understanding of the proper use of pesticides so as to prevent the adverse effects of pesticides.

Hygienic assessment of the population risk after consumption of agricultural products grown with the application of triazole class-based fungicides

The problem of pesticide poisoning is particularly acute among countries whose primary source of income is agriculture (India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina etc.). About 3 million cases of intentional and unintentional pesticide poisoning are reported in the world annually, resulting in the death of more than 250000 people. In Ukraine, by 2020, more than 250 pesticide preparations containing active substances of the triazole class. Aim of the work. Hygienic assessment of the population risk after consumption of agricultural products grown with the application of triazole class-based fungicides. Materials and methods. We analyzed the resistance parameters of triazole fungicides (difenoconazole, prothioconazole, cyproconazole, and metconazole) and strobilurin (azoxystrobin) in various crops. To determine the content of active substances in crops, we used modern methods of high-performance liquid and gas chromatography. For the integral assessment of the hazard indicators was used, the indicators of the allowable daily intake, the half-life periods in plants and the average daily consumption of the product were evaluated. Research results. The risk assessment for the population, calculated according to the methodology showed that the risk values of triazoles were 0.0002-0.2239, strobilurins – 0.0002-0.0016, which does not exceed the acceptable (less than 1). Calculations carried out according to the method show that all studied compounds of triazoles class belong to the moderately hazardous when consuming treated products of rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, sugar beet and hazardous when consuming cereals; strobilurin - low hazard when consumed the most of the studied cultures. Differences in hazard classes are primarily due to differences in the behaviour of pesticides in different crops and the length of the vegetative season.

Spatial association of land-use areas and disease occurred by pesticide poisoning in Thailand

Background: Thailand is one of the Asian countries where high pesticides use is common for agriculture. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the spatial association between types of land-use areas and diseases occurred by pesticide poisoning in Thailand. Methods: This study was conducted by using the data set of average prevalence of diseases occurred by pesticide pollution and the land-use areas between 2018-2020. A Moran’s I and local indicators of spatial association (LISA) were used to identify the spatial autocorrelation between each type of land use areas and diseases developed due to pesticide poisoning in Thailand. Results: This present study observed that the average prevalence of disease occurred from pesticide pollution between 2018-2020 was 13.17 (95% CI: 10.83 - 15.50) per 100,000 in Thailand. The results identified the spatial global autocorrelation of each type of land used and occurrence of diseases due to pesticide pollution, including rice field areas, field crops, fruit trees and perennials, vegetables and flowers, and other agriculture with Moran’s I 0.270, 0.144, 0.606, 0.135, and 0.324 respectively. A spatial association between various factors and average prevalence of pesticide pollutions with significant LISA analysis were; rice field areas with eight high-high clusters and nine low-low clusters, field crops areas with three high-high clusters and 11 low-low clusters, fruit trees and perennials areas with eight high-high clusters and 12 low-low clusters, and six high-high clusters and four low-low clusters vegetable and flower areas. Similarly, nine high-high clusters and nine low-low clusters of other agricultural areas had been observed with prevalence of diseases acquired by pesticide pollution. Conclusions: There was significant spatial association between land-use areas and diseases acquired by pesticide pollution in Thailand. It should be controlled by new policy recommendations for pesticides use for agriculture., especially, in provinces with more land-use areas for each type of plant.

Tannic acid antagonizes atrazine exposure-induced autophagy and DNA damage crosstalk in grass carp hepatocytes via NO/iNOS/NF-κB signaling pathway to maintain stable immune function

Atrazine (ATR) is a herbicide widely used in grass crops. The pollution of the soil and water environment is extremely harmful to aquatic animals and their offspring. iNOS/NO upregulation, DNA damage and cellular autophagy affect the immune function of fish liver cells. The effects of ATR at exposure doses on grass carp hepatocytes in terms of autophagy and DNA damage effects in genotoxicity, as well as the antagonistic effects of TAN on the above phenotypes and the internal mechanisms are not known. Therefore, we constructed control (Con group), ATR exposure (ATR group), TAN exposure (TAN group) and mixed group (ATR + TAN group) models on grass carp hepatocytes. Validation was performed by comet assay, MDC staining, qRT-PCR and protein blotting assay as well as iNOS/NO indicator levels and expression of immune factors as these experimental methods. Our data indicate that iNOS/NO assay kit measured that ATR treatment resulted in a significant increase in iNOS/NO activity and levels in grass carp hepatocytes (p < 0.05). We also found that NO/iNOS/NF-κB pathway genes were significantly activated (p < 0.05) at the exposure dose of ATR (3 μg mL−1). In addition, the proportion of cells that died due to DNA damage, autophagy, and immunotoxic effects was significantly increased at the exposure dose of ATR. Comet assay protein blotting detected increased DNA damage in cells at the ATR exposure dose (p < 0.05). MDC staining and qRT-PCR and protein blotting to detect the proportion of autophagic cells and autophagy-related genes also appeared upregulated at the exposed dose of ATR (p < 0.05). In brief, this study showed that ATR exposure caused cellular DNA damage and autophagy via the NO/iNOS/NF-κB axis, which led to immunotoxic effects and eventual death of grass carp hepatocytes. The present study facilitates the demonstration of the molecular mechanism of TAN alleviation of ATR cytotoxicity from the perspective of NO-mediated iNOS/NF-κB axis. It provides insights into the protection of farmed fish from agricultural contaminants and opens up new horizons in the use of natural plant-derived monomers for the clinical treatment of antagonistic triazine pesticide poisoning.

Pesticide Safety Awareness among Rural Farmers in Dadinkowa, Gombe State, Nigeria.

Because of the longer growing season and warmer climate, weeds and insect pests spread are on the rise, thereby increasing the demand for pesticide use and consequently harmful emissions that further exacerbate climate change. Unsafe occupational exposure to pesticide residue is associated with a lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted for this study in which a face-to-face administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 285 respondents who were selected using convenient snowball sampling technique. Knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide storage, handling, application, and containers disposal among the farmers were measured. Categorical variables were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency count and percentage, while numeric items were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Dichlorvos and Perfekthion 2.5 EC listed in the WHO Group I pesticide classification were among the most frequently used pesticides. Symptoms of pesticide intoxication reported include headaches (56.1%), dizziness (56.5%), skin irritation (53.3%), and fatigue (45.6%), respectively. Farmers' behaviour during pesticide application include blowing clogged nozzle with mouth (42.7%), talking while spraying (59.8%), and mixing pesticide with bare hands (31.1%). Furthermore, 38.5% of them use pesticide containers for other domestic purposes. Socioeconomic factors, i.e., educational level, age, and years of farm practice, influenced farmers safety behaviour. Based on these findings, an approach that will help strengthen capacity building programmes and the enhancement of knowledge-based initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pest-control methods should be encouraged.

The advantages of penehyclidine hydrochloride over atropine in acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning: A meta-analysis

BackgroundPenehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) has been used for many years as an anticholinergic drug for the treatment of acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore whether PHC has advantages over atropine in the use of anticholinergic drugs in AOPP. MethodsWe searched Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, PubMed, ProQuest, Ovid, Web of Science, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Duxiu, Chinese Biomedical literature (CBM), WanFang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), from inception to March 2022. After all qualified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, we conducted quality evaluation, data extraction, and statistical analysis. Statistics using risk ratios (RR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and standard mean difference (SMD). ResultsOur meta-analysis included 20,797 subjects from 240 studies across 242 different hospitals in China. Compared with the atropine group, the PHC group showed decreased mortality rate (RR=0.20, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.16–0.25, P <0.001), hospitalization time (WMD=−3.89, 95% CI: −4.37 to −3.41, P <0.001), overall incidence rate of complications (RR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.28–0.43, P <0.001), overall incidence of adverse reactions (RR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.17–0.22, P <0.001), total symptom disappearance time (SMD=−2.13, 95% CI: −2.35 to −1.90, P <0.001), time for cholinesterase activity to return to normal value 50–60% (SMD=−1.87, 95% CI: −2.03 to −1.70, P <0.001), coma time (WMD=−5.57, 95% CI: −7.20 to −3.95, P <0.001), and mechanical ventilation time (WMD=−2.16, 95% CI: −2.79 to −1.53, P <0.001). ConclusionPHC has several advantages over atropine as an anticholinergic drug in AOPP.

Hematological indices as indicators of inflammation induced by exposure to pesticides.

Pesticide toxicity, both acute and chronic, is a global public health concern. Pesticides are involved in abnormal inflammatory responses by interfering with the normal physiology and metabolic status of cells. In this regard, inflammatory indices aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI), monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte platelet ratio (NLPR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune inflammation index, and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) have been used as predictive markers of inflammatory status in several diseases and also in acute poisoning events. This study aimed to determine systemic inflammation indices and their relationship with pesticide exposure from urban sprayers in 302 individuals categorized into three groups (reference group and moderate and high exposure groups). The data suggest that the AISI, MLR, NLPR, and SIRI indices were significantly higher in the exposed groups compared with the reference group. In conclusion, this study proposes that inflammation indices warrant further attention in order to assess their value as early biomarkers of acute and chronic pesticide intoxication.

Quercetin: Its Antioxidant Mechanism, Antibacterial Properties and Potential Application in Prevention and Control of Toxipathy.

Quercetin, as a flavonol compound found in plants, has a variety of biological activities. It is widely present in nature and the human diet, with powerful oxidative properties and biological activities. In this review, the antioxidant mechanism and broad-spectrum antibacterial properties of quercetin are revealed; the intervention effects of quercetin on pesticide poisoning and the pathway of action are investigated; the toxic effects of main mycotoxins on the collection and the detoxification process of quercetin are summarized; whether it is able to reduce the toxicity of mycotoxins is proved; and the harmful effects of heavy metal poisoning on the collection, the prevention, and control of quercetin are evaluated. This review is expected to enrich the understanding of the properties of quercetin and promote its better application in clinical practice.

Investigation of acute organophosphate poisoning in humans based on sociodemographic and role of neurotransmitters with survival study in South India

The aim of this study was to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics of patients based on the poison chosen and different types of organophosphorus compounds. The data were collected to explore the sociodemographic characteristics of organophosphate (OP)-poisoned patients based on the source, site, and route of poisoning, education level, occupational status, and the purpose of poisoning. Furthermore, we estimated the serotonin and dopamine levels in the plasma samples of patients, and survival plots were also described. During the study of OP pesticide poisoning in 116 human subjects and 5 healthy volunteers, we observed, based on the survival plot, that75.9% of the patients were discharged, and the remaining patients died (24.1% of the patients) due to respiratory failure followed by cardiac arrest. Our findings suggest that the serotonin levels significantly (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) decreased from 12 to 36 h, whereas the dopamine levels slightly increased from 12 to 36 h in the group with OP poisoning compared to the control group. Based on these findings, this study may aid in deciphering the precise mechanism by which pesticides cause behavioural changes that influence serotonin and dopamine levels in OP-poisoned patients. The purpose of this work was to serve as a small reminder of the risk to public health associated with organophosphate pesticides.

Clinical Assessment of Acute Organophosphorus Pesticide Poisoning in Pediatric Patients Admitted to the Toxicology Emergency Department.

Pesticide poisoning in pediatric patients is still an important reason for presenting to the emergency department in Romania. In this context, the present study aims to raise awareness of the toxicological impact of pesticides on human health in pediatrics. For this purpose, the demographic characteristics, clinical assessment, and outcome of pediatric patients with acute pesticide poisoning admitted to the toxicology department of “Saint Mary” Emergency Children’s Hospital from Iasi, were analyzed. This retrospective study focused on the clinical and laboratory data of patients aged under 18 years diagnosed with acute pesticide poisoning between 2010–2020. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 10 package. A total of 49 patients presented with manifestations of acute pesticide poisoning, and the most common pesticide involved was diazinon. The most frequent exposure route was accidentally ingesting pesticide products (95%). The primary clinical manifestations were toxic encephalopathy, coma, depressive disorder, gastric disorders, and respiratory failure. Changes in the glycemic status, liver, and kidney damage were also present. Treatment included decontamination, administration of antidote, supportive care, and recommendations to be closely monitored to avoid a new incident. These results highlight the toxic potential of pesticides on human health and their biological consequences, which require an increase in consciousness of the precautions imposed on their use, especially when children are nearby.

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and Hemoglobin Levels in Pesticide Poisoning-Farmers

Pesticides are chemicals used to control insects, fungi, weeds, and others. Unrestrained use of pesticides leads to poisoning that has an impact on inflammation and anemia. To provide evidence for this notion, acetylcholinesterase enzyme levels, blood sedimentation rates, and blood hemoglobin levels of farmers exposed to pesticides have been studied. The study design was quantitative in a cross-sectional manner. The participants of the study were all members of the Kurnia Makmur farmer group in Landasan Ulin Utara District, Banjarbaru with a total sample of 60 people. An examination of acetylcholinesterase, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and hemoglobin enzyme levels was carried out at the Banjar Regency Health Lab. The blood sample was withdrawn from the cubital vein. Spectrophotometry was used to determine acetylcholinesterase enzyme levels, while ESR was determined by the automatic method. Hemoglobin levels are measured by the cyanmethemoglobin method. T-tests were used to compare acetylcholinesterase, ESR, and hemoglobin levels in the normal group and the poisoning group. The study concluded that exposure to a pesticide in farmers' pesticide poisoning may cause inflammation characterized by an increase in ERS. However, there was no decrease in hemoglobin levels.

Training Farmers in How to Apply Pesticides and Other Topical Subjects

When the use of chemical pesticides began to increase, there were several commercially available insecticides that were considered to be highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) to use. Methyl parathion was one of these insecticides. In Zimbabwe, it was decided that the containers of insecticide should have a colour to indicate its toxicity level as defined by the World Health Organisation. Thus, the colour purple indicated an extremely hazardous pesticide (Class I), while the colours red, orange and green indicated Classes II, III and unclassified pesticide. Pesticides with a purple or red label were not displayed and those who wished to purchase these products had to know about their higher toxicity and precautions to be taken when used. Despite this system of simple colour codes, many smallholder farmers in cotton growing areas did not know the significance of this code. In Zimbabwe, pesticides are now sold over the counter regardless of the toxicological and ecotoxicological impacts. However, this government policy was intended to stimulate and grow the agricultural sector, but small-scale farming is prevalent and dominated by vulnerable populations. Due to these factors, beneficiaries of subsidised pesticides engage in uncontrolled vending of pesticides. Companies have not adopted this and unfortunately, responsible registration in many countries has not limited the sale of HHP products. Without proper training workers have died or suffered illness following use of these pesticides. According to Rother label information is a poor communication vehicle regarding risks, so it is argued that the use of the term "misuse" of pesticides in the literature, and by regulators and industry inappropriately allocates blame of poisonings and environmental contamination to end-users. In the UK, the Crop Protection Association introduced a Voluntary Initiative aimed at improving the standards of pesticide use. This resulted in setting up the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSo), which is open to anybody who holds an appropriate certificate of competence qualification approved by the Chemical Regulations Directorate (CRD) for the safe application of pesticides. In some countries, the government has supported Extension Services, usually linked to a University. These provide training for farmers, but in many parts of the world there has been relatively little attention to providing farmers adequate training on the correct and safe way to apply pesticides. The Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC), which is a part of the African Union (AU), was increasingly concerned about the safety and efficiency of pesticides used in Africa. In all member states, there were cases of pesticide abuse at the field level and lack of adequate control over the way pesticides were being used. In particular, small-scale farmers using knapsack sprayers and other portable application equipment were inadequately trained. Similarly, this was also a problem amongst plantation workers. An example of the problems in Nigeria is expressed by Asogwa et al and Onuegbu &amp; Harbor. The lack of training was also reported from Pakistan, where the majority of the farmers (88%) in the study had never received any formal training on the use of pesticides and knapsack sprayers. Instead farmers learnt methods of spraying pesticide, handling and tank filling by imitating their relatives or neighbours. Another contributing factor in acute pesticide poisoning of farmers was due to knapsack sprayers being poorly maintained. When spraying, most farmers had wet clothes owing to leakage from ill-fitting nozzles and poorly kept equipment. It was observed that most of the equipment that was in use, was locally made and was of poor quality. Many of the knapsack sprayers had been there for years without any maintenance, repair or replacement by new equipment. The lack of training and unavailability of safetyequipment is consistent with other studies. In 2000, FAO organised a Training programme for agricultural staff in tropical countries, who were expected to utilise their training to organise training sessions in their own country. The initial course was aimed at farms in Cameroon, but for a second course, participants were invited from other African countries. One result of these training sessions was a 273 page booklet produced by FAO.

A Suicide Attempt: Deltamethrin Intoxication.

Poisoning is a frequent cause of emergency department visits, with attempted suicide accounting for up to two-thirds of all fatalities from pesticide poisoning. Despite extensive pyrethroid use worldwide, relatively few cases of human poisoning have been reported in the literature. Although most pesticide use occurs in the developed world, 99% of all acute pesticide poisoning occurs in developing countries. Deltamethrin poisoning is uncommon, with fewer than 10 deaths reported following ingestion or occupational exposure.The present case report describes deltamethrin intoxication due to intentional oral ingestion in a suicide attempt, resulting in a life-threatening combination of seizures and coma due to non-convulsive status epilepticus.LEARNING POINTSUp to two-thirds of all fatalities from pesticide poisoning are due to suicide.Organophosphate or organochloride poisoning can mimic pyrethroid poisoning.Poisoning with deltamethrin, which belongs to the pyrethroid family, is uncommon; there is no antidote, with supportive and symptom-directed treatment being the gold standard.

Assessment on binding characteristics of ethiprole and a model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) through various spectroscopic techniques integrated with computer simulation

To investigate the binding characteristics of pesticide ethiprole (ETP) with serum albumin is of great significance for pathological analysis of pesticide poisoning, gene mutation, and clinical detection. In present work, the binding characteristics of ETP with a model protein BSA has been estimated by means of multi-spectroscopic approaches integrated with computer simulation. The outcomes testified that the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was mainly quenched by ETP in a static quenching mode and the stable ETP-BSA complex with the stoichiometry of 1:1 and the binding constant of 6.81 × 103 M−1 (298 K) was produced. The outcomes revealed that ETP combined preferentially to the subdomain IIA (Site I) of BSA and caused the decline in the content of α-helix of BSA and the enhancement in the hydrophobicity of environment centered on Trp residues. The outcomes of experimental and theoretical studies provide the sufficient evidence about the driving forces for the complexation of ETP with BSA, which included van der Waals forces (vdW), hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) interaction, and hydrophobicity. Simultaneously, the theoretical calculation results also confirmed the existence of the significant changes in the physicochemical natures of ETP including molecular conformation, dipole moment, frontier orbital energy, and the atomic charge distribution, which was a responsible for the complexation with BSA. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Diseases and deaths from pesticides in Brazil

All released! For decades, Brazil has become a great granary and depository of pesticides used in its crops. The situation has worsened since 2008, when Brazil became the world&amp;#x27;s largest consumer of pesticides and, more recently, in the last 6 years after the release and authorization of registrations of new pesticides, by the governments of Temer and Bolsonaro, with many use of these pesticides in their countries of origin is prohibited. Between 2010 and 2021, 3,474 new pesticides were released, of which 76.5% were only between 2016 and 2021. And as an announced tragedy, the reflection of the general release, are the impacts on health and the environment resulting from the indiscriminate use of these pesticides. Objectives: To analyze data on mortality from cancer, suicide attempts, poisoning and deaths from pesticides for agricultural, domestic, public health, rodenticides and veterinary use between 2010 and 2020. METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected from the database DATA/SUS/Ministry of Health. Results: There were 135,803 cases of intoxication, 73.2% of intoxications were not due to exposure at work; 70,920 suicide attempts and 3,944 deaths from poisoning, with 48.8% of the deaths being between black/brown and 36% white; 74.6% of intoxications were in urban residents and 21.9% in rural areas and 94.5% of deaths were not related to work. There were 8,099,845 cases of neoplasms, 92,217 of which were malignant neoplasms of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts; 877,464 of congenital malformations. Conclusions: The results point to a relationship between higher mortality rates from cancer, poisoning, suicide attempts and deaths from pesticide poisoning, proportionally increasing, as the consumption and sales of pesticides in Brazil increase annually. Most victims of poisoning are residents of urban areas and belonging to black/brown color/ethnicity and are not exposed to work. Keywords: Pesticides, intoxications, deaths, cancer, suicide

Addressing Commercial Determinants of Health in African Pesticide Research

Pesticide research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continues to identify exposure risks and why pesticide poisonings continue (e.g., poor surveillance, weak legislation, use of highly hazardous pesticides, high-risk use and application practices). Focus often is on highlighting specific pesticide products, exposure risk contexts and vulnerable populations, as well as behaviours of farmers, workers and consumers. What is, however, less often assessed in pesticide research is the impact of commercial determinants on health (CDoH), which is referred to as &amp;#x22;strategies and approaches used by the private sector to promote products and choices that are detrimental to health”, and the role of corporate capture. In this review, the aim was to identify the key components of CDoH impacting on health outcomes for populations, particularly in Southern Africa, exposed to pesticides. Five strategies of the pesticide industry were identified that result in exposure risks and negative health outcomes. These strategies and concepts include: the social responsibility approach (e.g., responsible and safe use), mis- and lack of information (e.g., confidential business information), corporate capture (e.g., revolving staff door with regulators), apportioning blame (e.g., &amp;#x22;misuse”), and uncertainty science (e.g., products are innocent until proven guilty, corporate research funding). The findings and complexity of each of these strategies will be presented. The impact of epidemiological research for evidence policy making will continue to be undermined as long as the CDoH are not addressed along side research. It is recommended that researchers include an analysis of pesticide commercial determinants as part of epidemiological research and that environmental health curricula include training on commercial determinants of environmental health. Young pesticide researchers need guidance on navigating corporate research funding, conflicts of interest and the long-term impact on their careers. To reduce pesticide poisonings in LMICs, CDoH need to be identified and addressed by researchers.

A more than four-fold sex-specific difference of autism spectrum disorders and the possible contribution of pesticide usage in China 1990-2030.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are prevalent in children and adolescents and disproportionately affect males, and the main contributing factors underlying male vulnerability remain widely unknown. Pesticide use is widely reported to be associated with ASD risk, and the cases of pesticide poisoning incidence in rural areas are remarkably higher than those in the urban areas while the prevalence of ASDs in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas and the rate of male pesticide poisoning was significantly higher than female. Thus, pesticide usage may be an important contributing factor for causing sex-specific differences of ASD incidence. ASD burden was analyzed by using the data of ASD number, ASD rate (ASD cases per 100,000 persons) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019. The changes from 1990 to 2030 were predicted using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) in time series forecasting based on the small values of Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion. Finally, the relationship between ASD rate and pesticide usage risk index (PURI) was analyzed via Pearson's correlation coefficient. ASD number, ASD rate and DALYs will be reduced by 45.5% ± 8.2% (t = 9.100 and p = 0.0119), 56.6% ± 10.2% (t = 9.111 and p = 0.0118), and 44.9% ± 7.0% (t = 20.90 and p = 0.0023) from 1990 to 2030 in China. PURI has a strong relationship with ASD rate (rho = 0.953 to 0.988 and p < 0.0001). Pesticide poisoning incidence in males is up to 2-fold higher than that in females. ASD number and DALYs in males are 4-fold higher than those in females. Furthermore, there is growing evidence supporting that males are more susceptible than females to pesticides with sex differences in neurotoxicogenetics. Therefore, pesticide poisoning may be a contributing factor for causing the sex differences of ASD. Much work still needs to be done to confirm that.

Awareness and Attitude towards Mango Infesting Fruit Flies and Adoption of an IPM Strategy: A Panel Data Analysis in Elgeyo Marakwet, Kenya

This study aimed at understanding farmers’ awareness and attitude towards mango infesting fruit flies, the adoption of an IPM strategy, and the determinants of farmers’ knowledge and perceptions on fruit fly infestation and management. We utilized panel data collected from 608 mango farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. Descriptive results show that eighty four percent of farmers reported high damage caused by fruit flies. The most common identified fruit fly symptoms were infected fruits that contain maggots and fruits falling off the plant prematurely. Fruit fly traps and orchard sanitation by feeding infested fruits to animals and burying infected mangoes were well-known and adopted IPM strategies among the farmers. The principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to develop the knowledge and perception index that was subsequently used in multiple regression analysis. The regression estimates indicate that farmers’ awareness and attitude towards fruit fly infestation and management is positively associated with gender of the household head, training on IPM, contact with an extension officer, membership to a mango cooperative, and experience of pesticide intoxication, while age of the household head and mango income negatively influenced farmers’ awareness and attitude on fruit fly infestation and management. We emphasize on the role of rural institutions and associations in enhancing farmers’ knowledge and perceptions on fruit fly infestation and management through improved product-specific training, access to farmer cooperatives and extension services on non-pesticide methods of suppressing fruit flies. Keywords: Mango fruit fly; Integrated pest management; Knowledge and perceptions; Principal component analysis DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-18-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2022