Paraquat application and respiratory health effects among South Korean farmers.
Occup Environ Med
; 69(6): 398-403, 2012 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22213838
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Paraquat is commonly used worldwide as major herbicide. The objective of this study was to investigate the association among farmers between occupational paraquat exposure and respiratory health effects.METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey of health effects related to an oil spill was conducted in South Korea from 2008 to 2009. For this analysis, a total of 2882 full-time farmers were selected from the overall sample. Data collection included an interviewer-administered questionnaire and spirometry testing. Logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between paraquat exposure and respiratory health outcomes after adjustment for potential confounders.RESULTS:
The risks of self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and allergic rhinitis were non-significantly increased among paraquat-applying farmers compared with non-paraquat-applying farmers. Although the results of a pulmonary function test fell within normal limits, a decline in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second was apparent among paraquat-applying farmers compared with non-paraquat-applying farmers. Forced vital capacity (ß = -5.20, p<0.001) and forced expiratory volume in one second (ß = -1.89, p = 0.010) significantly decreased with each unit increase in years of paraquat application. Paraquat-applying farmers showed a significant exposure-response relationship between restrictive ventilatory defects and paraquat application years (p trend = 0.015) or lifetime days of application (p trend = 0.007).CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings suggest a possible association between paraquat application and adverse respiratory health effects among farmers.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Paraquat
/
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
/
Occupational Exposure
/
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
/
Agricultural Workers' Diseases
/
Asthma, Occupational
/
Herbicides
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Occup Environ Med
Journal subject:
MEDICINA OCUPACIONAL
/
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Year:
2012
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
South Korea