Nganchamung Thitirat, Robson Mark G, Siriwong Wattasit
College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2017;68(2):175-183.
Use of pesticides has been documented to lead to several adverse health effects. Farmers are likely to be exposed to pesticides through dermal exposure as a result of mixing, loading, and spraying. Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are widely used in most of the agricultural areas throughout Thailand. OPs are cholinesterase inhibitors and blood cholinesterase activity is used as a biomarker of OP effects.
This study aims to determine the association between blood cholinesterase activity and organophosphate pesticide residues on chili farmer’s hands and their adverse health effects.
Ninety chili farmers directly involved with pesticide applications (e.g. mixing, loading, spraying) were recruited and were interviewed face to face. Both enzymes, erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma cholinesterase (PChE), were tested with the EQM Test-mate Cholinesterase Test System (Model 400). Hand wipe samples were used for collecting residues on both hands and OP residues for chlorpyrifos and profenofos were quantified using gas chromatography equipped with a flame photometric detector (GC-FPD).
The average activity (±SD) of AChE and PChE was 2.73 (±0.88) and 1.58 (±0.56) U/mL, respectively. About 80.0% of the participants had detectable OP residues on hands. The median residues of chlorpyrifos and profenofos were found to be 0.02 and 0.03 mg/kg/two hands, respectively. Half of participants reported having some acute health symptoms within 48 hours after applying pesticides. When adjusted for gender, number of years working in chili farming, and frequency of pesticide use, AChE activity (Adjusted OR = 0.03, 95%CI: 0.01-0.13) and detected OP residues on hands (Adjusted OR = 0.15, 95%CI: 0.02-0.95) were significantly associated with having health effects, but no significant association was found in PChE activity (Adjusted OR = 2.09, 95%CI: 0.63-6.99).
This study suggests that regular monitoring for blood cholinesterase and effective interventions to reduce pesticide exposure to prevent health effects should be provided to chili farmers.
已证明使用农药会导致多种不良健康影响。由于混合、装填和喷洒农药，农民很可能通过皮肤接触农药。有机磷农药（OPs）在泰国大部分农业地区广泛使用。OPs是胆碱酯酶抑制剂，血液胆碱酯酶活性用作OPs影响的生物标志物。
本研究旨在确定辣椒种植农民手部血液胆碱酯酶活性与有机磷农药残留之间的关联及其对健康的不良影响。
招募了90名直接参与农药施用（如混合、装填、喷洒）的辣椒种植农民，并进行面对面访谈。使用EQM Test-mate胆碱酯酶检测系统（400型）检测红细胞乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）和血浆胆碱酯酶（PChE）这两种酶。手部擦拭样本用于收集双手上的残留物，使用配备火焰光度检测器（GC-FPD）的气相色谱法定量毒死蜱和丙溴磷的OP残留量。
AChE和PChE的平均活性（±标准差）分别为2.73（±0.88）和1.58（±0.56）U/mL。约80.0%的参与者手部可检测到OP残留。毒死蜱和丙溴磷的中位残留量分别为0.02和0.03 mg/kg/双手。一半的参与者报告在施用农药后48小时内出现了一些急性健康症状。在对性别、从事辣椒种植的年限和农药使用频率进行调整后，AChE活性（调整后的OR = 0.03，95%CI：0.01 - 0.13）和手部检测到的OP残留（调整后的OR = 0.15，95%CI：0.02 - 0.95）与健康影响显著相关，但未发现PChE活性与健康影响有显著关联（调整后的OR = 2.09，95%CI：0.63 - 6.99）。
本研究表明，应向辣椒种植农民提供定期血液胆碱酯酶监测以及减少农药接触以预防健康影响的有效干预措施。
