title: Neurological effects of pesticide use among farmers in China.
abstract: The intensive use of pesticides has attracted great attention from the Chinese government. However, current regulations have had limited influence on their safe use. Although the acute neurologic effects of pesticides have been well documented, little is known about their cumulative effects. Knowledge of the impact of pesticides on health may convince farmers to minimize their use. We conducted a cross-sectional study in three provinces of China to evaluate the relationship between pesticide exposure and neurological dysfunction. Crop farmers were divided into two groups depending on their level of pesticide exposure. A total of 236 participants were assessed by questionnaire and neurological examination for symptoms and signs of neuropathy. Characteristics of neurologic dysfunction following cumulative low-level exposure were assessed with logistic regression analysis. Farmers exposed to high-level pesticide use had greater risk of developing sensations of numbness or prickling (odds ratio (OR) 2.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-6.36). After adjusting for recent exposure, the risk of numbness or prickling symptoms (OR 2.55, 95% CI: 1.04-6.25) remained statistically significant. Loss of muscle strength and decreased deep tendon reflexes had OR > 2, however, this did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that overuse of pesticides increased risk of neurologic dysfunction among farmers, with somatosensory small fibers most likely affected. Measures that are more efficient should be taken to curb excessive use of pesticides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. jessielee@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100081, China. zhangchao9501@163.com.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. yanhongyin1013@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. cuifang301@sina.com.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100081, China. caijinyang@bit.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jinyang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. shentong100841@sina.com.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. yjin@sebs.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. robson@aesop.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. limao301shennei@163.com.
authors.forename: Mao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. rytlhx@126.com.
authors.forename: Yuting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100853, China. lewish301@sina.com.
authors.forename: Xusheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100081, China. ruifa@bit.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ruifa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000383:Agriculture; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
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