Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157 , USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 2010 May;118(5):635-9. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901492. Epub 2010 Jan 19.
Farmworkers can be exposed to a wide variety of pesticides. Assessing cholinesterase activity over time can be used to monitor exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides.
The goal of this study was to document patterns and variation in cholinesterase levels across the agricultural season (May-August) among field-workers, and to explore the association of cholinesterase depression with pesticide exposure across the agricultural season.
Dried blood samples collected from 231 migrant farmworkers sampled from camps in eastern North Carolina up to four times across a summer agricultural season were analyzed for cholinesterase activity, and urine samples were analyzed for metabolites of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. Reductions of >or= 15% from an individual's highest value were identified and considered evidence of meaningful cholinesterase activity depression.
The average cholinesterase activity levels were lowest in June, with significantly higher mean values in July and August. When adjusted for age, sex, minutes waited to shower, and days worked in the fields, the number of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides detected in urine predicted reductions in cholinesterase activity.
These data demonstrate that workers are experiencing pesticide exposure. Greater enforcement of existing safety regulations or strengthening of these regulations may be warranted. This study demonstrates that serial measurements of cholinesterase activity across an agricultural season can detect exposure to pesticides among field-workers.
农民可能会接触到各种各样的农药。随着时间的推移，评估胆碱酯酶活性可用于监测接触有机磷和氨基甲酸酯类农药。
本研究的目的是记录农业季节（5 月至 8 月）期间田间工人的胆碱酯酶水平的模式和变化，并探讨胆碱酯酶抑制与整个农业季节的农药接触的关系。
从北卡罗来纳州东部营地采集了 231 名移民农场工人的干血样，在一个夏季农业季节中最多采集了四次，以分析胆碱酯酶活性，同时还分析了尿液中有机磷和氨基甲酸酯类农药的代谢物。个体最高值下降>或=15%被确定为胆碱酯酶活性显著抑制的证据。
平均胆碱酯酶活性水平在 6 月最低，7 月和 8 月的平均水平显著升高。调整年龄、性别、等待洗澡的分钟数和在田间工作的天数后，尿液中检测到的有机磷和氨基甲酸酯类农药的数量预测了胆碱酯酶活性的降低。
这些数据表明工人正在接触农药。可能需要加强现有的安全法规的执行或加强这些法规。本研究表明，在农业季节中连续测量胆碱酯酶活性可以检测到田间工人接触农药。
