Gomes J, Lloyd O L, Revitt D M
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1999 Jan;72(1):40-5. doi: 10.1007/s004200050332.
Farm workers in developing countries tend not to use protective measures while handling pesticides. This study investigates the use of personal protection equipment and the practice of safety and hygiene procedures in the handling of pesticides in agriculture.
Through a multi-stage sampling technique, one-fifth of the farms in a region were selected and all the farm workers at these farms were included in the study. A comparison population matching in age, socio-economic status and stay in the region was selected. A specifically designed questionnaire was used to collect information on the use of protective measures and the practice of safety and hygiene during work and on the disposal of empty pesticide containers. Blood pressure and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were measured in the exposed and the unexposed populations.
Protective equipment was worn by a minority of farm workers - gloves, by 35%; work coveralls, by 36%; a scarf to cover the nose and mouth, by 39%; and shoes at work, by 79%. With regard to personal hygiene measures, 83% of the workers changed clothes after work and the same proportion took a shower after work; 63% and 46% drank and ate while at work respectively; and 11% used articles of domestic use in the preparation of pesticides on the farm. Most of the farm workers (96%) were asked to prepare pesticides for spraying by the foreman and 61% were asked to spray the pesticides on the crops. AChE activity was highly significantly depleted in the exposed population as compared with the unexposed population.
AChE depletion was found to be negatively associated with the use of gloves, of work coveralls, and of a scarf to cover the nose and mouth and with the implementation of safety and hygiene procedures on the farm. AChE depletion was positively associated with the frequency of pesticide spraying.
发展中国家的农场工人在处理农药时往往不采取防护措施。本研究调查了农业中处理农药时个人防护设备的使用情况以及安全和卫生程序的执行情况。
通过多阶段抽样技术,选取了某地区五分之一的农场,这些农场的所有农场工人都纳入了研究。选取了在年龄、社会经济地位和在该地区停留时间方面相匹配的对照人群。使用专门设计的问卷收集有关防护措施的使用情况、工作期间的安全和卫生习惯以及空农药容器处理情况的信息。对暴露人群和未暴露人群测量血压和红细胞乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)活性。
少数农场工人穿戴防护设备——戴手套的占35%;穿工作服的占36%;戴围巾捂住口鼻的占39%;工作时穿鞋子的占79%。关于个人卫生措施,83%的工人下班后换衣服,同样比例的工人下班后洗澡;分别有63%和46%的工人在工作时饮食;11%的工人在农场使用家用物品配制农药。大多数农场工人(96%)被工头要求配制农药用于喷洒,61%的工人被要求在作物上喷洒农药。与未暴露人群相比,暴露人群的AChE活性显著降低。
发现AChE活性降低与戴手套、穿工作服、戴围巾捂住口鼻以及在农场执行安全和卫生程序呈负相关。AChE活性降低与农药喷洒频率呈正相关。