title: Occupational exposure to pesticides and respiratory health.
abstract: This article aims to review the available literature regarding the link between occupational exposure to pesticides and respiratory symptoms or diseases. Identification of epidemiological studies was performed using PubMed. 41 articles were included, 36 regarding agricultural workers and five regarding industry workers. Among the 15 cross-sectional studies focusing on respiratory symptoms and agricultural pesticide exposure, 12 found significant associations with chronic cough, wheeze, dyspnoea, breathlessness or chest tightness. All four studies on asthma found a relationship with occupational exposure, as did all three studies on chronic bronchitis. The four studies that performed spirometry reported impaired respiratory function linked to pesticide exposure, suggestive of either obstructive or restrictive syndrome according to the chemical class of pesticide. 12 papers reported results from cohort studies. Three out of nine found a significant relationship with increased risk of wheeze, five out of nine with asthma and three out of three with chronic bronchitis. In workers employed in pesticide production, elevated risks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (two studies out of three) and impaired respiratory function suggestive of an obstructive syndrome (two studies out of two) were reported. In conclusion, this article suggests that occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, asthma and chronic bronchitis, but the causal relationship is still under debate.
authors.affiliation: ISPED - Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, INSERM U897, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France ISPED - Centre INSERM U897 - Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France ali.mamane@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mamane
authors.affiliation: ISPED - Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, INSERM U897, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France ISPED - Centre INSERM U897 - Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France Service de Médecine du Travail, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.affiliation: ISPED - Centre INSERM U897 - Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tessier
authors.affiliation: ISPED - Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, INSERM U897, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France ISPED - Centre INSERM U897 - Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France Service des Maladies Respiratoires, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raherison
authors.affiliation: ISPED - Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, INSERM U897, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France ISPED - Centre INSERM U897 - Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Ghislaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bouvier
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000067565:Farmers; D006801:Humans; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides