Adverse respiratory health and hematological alterations among agricultural workers occupationally exposed to organophosphate pesticides: a cross-sectional study in North India.
BACKGROUND
Non-protective work practices followed by farm workers during spraying of pesticides lead to occupational exposure among them.


OBJECTIVE
This study is designed to explore the respiratory health and hematological profile of agricultural workers occupationally exposed to OP pesticides.


METHODS
A cross sectional study was undertaken among 166 pesticide sprayers working in mango orchards of Lucknow district in North India compared with 77 controls to assess the respiratory illness, lung functions, cholinesterase levels and hematological profile. A questionnaire based survey and clinical examination for respiratory health were conducted among study subjects. Lung function test was conducted among study subjects by using spirometer. Cholinesterase level as biomarker of OP pesticides and hematological profile of study subjects were investigated in the laboratory by following the standard protocols.


RESULTS
Overall respiratory morbidity observed among exposed subjects was 36.75%. Symptoms for respiratory illness like dry cough, productive cough, wheezing, irritation of throat and blood stained sputum were found to be significantly more (p<0.05) among pesticide sprayers than controls. Lung function parameters viz. PEFR, FEV1, %PEFR predicted, %FEV1 predicted and FEV1/FVC were found to be significantly decreased (p<0.05) among pesticide sprayers as compared to controls. Exposure wise distribution of respiratory illness and lung functions among pesticide sprayers show that the exposure duration significantly elevates (p<0.05) the respiratory problems and significantly decreases (p<0.001) lung functions among pesticide sprayers. Activities of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were found to be significantly depleted (p<0.001) among pesticide sprayers as compared to controls which show the exposure of OP pesticides among them. The hematological profile viz. RBC, WBC, monocytes, neutrophils, MCV, MCH, MCHC and platelet count were significantly altered (p<0.001) in pesticide sprayers than controls.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the unsafe occupational exposure of OP pesticides causes respiratory illness, decreased lung functions and hematological alterations among pesticide sprayers.
Epidemiology Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, CSIR-IITR, Lucknow, India.
Mohd
M
Fareed
Manoj Kumar
MK
Pathak
Vipin
V
Bihari
Ritul
R
Kamal
Anup Kumar
AK
Srivastava
Chandrasekharan Nair
CN
Kesavachandran
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000383:Agriculture; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D003371:Cough / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000503:physiopathology
D010575:Pesticides; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase