Interventions to Reduce Pesticide Exposure from the Agricultural Sector in Africa: A Workshop Report.

Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning, street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising, implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes.

Evaluation of work place pesticide concentration and health complaints among women workers in tea plantation, Southern India.

BACKGROUND: Women contribute fifty percent of the total work force in tea plantation sector. The continuous use of chemical pesticides in plantation may increase the risk of exposure and can cause detrimental health effects. OBJECTIVES: To assess the health status of women worker exposed to pesticides in tea plantation and to evaluate the pesticide levels in work environment. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed (n = 204) to assess the health complaints among exposed women workers (n = 116) and non-exposed women (n = 88) using a predesigned questionnaire. Work environmental air samples collected using PUF sampler and personal samplers were analyzed for various pesticides. RESULTS: Musculoskeletal disorder, skin color changes, allergies and asthma were the most commonly reported health complaints. Notably, only 16% of the women used personal protective equipment (PPE) while 68% reported to have experienced tea plantation work up to 6 month of their pregnancy period. Chlorpyrifos methyl (8.3%), carbendazim (6.7%), thiamethoxam (4.2%), ethion (4.2%) and thiophanate methyl (2.1%) were detected in work place air samples. SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to characterize pesticide levels in work place of women workers in India. Women are continuously exposed to pesticides through their work and environmental exposure. Preventive measures are essential to mitigate the adverse health effects of pesticides among women workers.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number and cytogenetic damage among fuel filling station attendants.

Fuel filling attendants are constantly exposed to the complex mixture of gasoline and all refinery environments are probably carcinogenic for humans. These workers are considered as an unorganized group in India and unaware of the risk. The present study was focused to monitor workplace pollutants (particulate matter size 10 [PM10 µm], total volatile organic compound [VOC], and carbon monoxide [CO]), benzene exposure (phenol), and to evaluate their genotoxicity effect with reference to relative mitochondrial DNA copy number (MtDNAcn), 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine), and micronuclei (MN) frequency (%) among fuel filling attendants. This study recorded 318 ± 134 and 1,050 ± 260 µg/m3 time-weighted average concentration of PM10 and CO, respectively. However, total VOC levels recorded were below the detectable level (BDL) to 290 ± 50 µg/m3 . A total of 53 subjects (26 exposed and 27 control) participated in this study with similar sociodemographic information. It was noticed that fuel filling attendants were not using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and are younger generation. The significantly (p = <.001) higher level of phenol, a metabolite of benzene, was detected in the exposed group. The significantly elevated level of urinary 8-OHdG (p = .01), MN frequency (p = .001), and relative MtDNAcn (p = .001) was observed in exposed group as compared to the control group. The study exemplify that workers were exposed to the benzene, workplace pollutant, and observed genotoxicity suggest malignancy risk. This study highlights the importance of biomonitoring in occupational settings to avoid malignancies. The possible engineering controls, frequent health check-ups, awareness about the risks, and PPE use can reduce health hazards.

Assessment of hematological, biochemical effects and genotoxicity among pesticide sprayers in grape garden.

BACKGROUND: Many studies revealed toxic effects of pesticides on pesticide handlers but very fewer studies have been reported among grape garden pesticide sprayers in India. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pesticides among grape garden sprayers. METHODS: 27 pesticide sprayers in study group and 27 non sprayers in control group were recruited. Blood samples were analyzed for hematological profile, biochemical parameters and urine samples for oxidative stress, buccal mucosal cells for genotoxicity. For statistical analysis student's t-test and Mann Whitney U test were used. RESULTS: White blood cell (WBC) count was significantly decreased; uric acid and Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly increased among study group. In present study the Micronucleus (MN) assay for buccal mucosal cell showed significant number of micronucleated cells in study group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that pesticide sprayers in grape garden are under risk which need to be monitored continuously in large population and further study is warranted to correlate the pesticide exposure by assessing acetylcholinesterase activity, pesticide residue analysis and their personal habits.

Assessment of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a marker of oxidative DNA damage in gasoline filling station attendants.

OBJECTIVES: The urinary excretion of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) was used as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. The urinary 8-oxodG levels in petrol filling station attendants (exposed) at various petrol bunks were estimated as well as in the unexposed (cashier) population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 workers (79 petrol fillers and 21 cashiers) aged from 20 to 41 years participated in the study. An informed consent was taken from each participant. Information on personal habits and health was obtained through a questionnaire. After shifts, urine samples were collected analyzed for 8-oxodG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of workers were in the 21-30 years age group. The maximum level of 8-oxodG was observed in the age group ≥ 41 years and the minimum in the age group of 31-40 years. The maximum level of 8-oxodG was observed among those workers who had ≥ 21 years of experience. The concentrations of 8-oxodG were significantly higher in petrol fillers than those in cashiers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the conflicting results obtained in our study it was shown that 8-oxodG is related to chemical exposure. Further research is needed embracing a bigger number of participants to highlight the correlations between the exposure and the effects.