Marete Gabriel M, Lalah Joseph O, Mputhia Jane, Wekesa Vitalis W
Department of Geoscience and the Environment, School of Physics and Earth Sciences, Technical University of Kenya, P.O. Box 52428-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Geochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Material Science, Technical University of Kenya, P.O. Box 52428-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
Heliyon. 2021 Feb 10;7(2):e06118. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06118. eCollection 2021 Feb.
This study assessed pesticide usage practices, knowledge and health effects of pesticides through occupational exposure in randomly selected horticultural farmers in Imenti North, Imenti South and Buuri Sub-counties in Meru, Kenya, where horticultural crops are grown intensively for export and local consumption. The study was done through use of questionnaire distributed to farmers' households, agricultural extension workers and health care workers. The survey established that various classes of pesticides were used in horticultural crop farming and animal production in all the three sub-counties, with the most frequently used (>60 respondents out of 173) being parathion, diazinon, dimethoate, permethrin, pirimiphos methyl, endrin, deltamethrin, dieldrin, propoxur and endosulfan. It was found that there is a gap between the existing government regulations on pesticide use and safe handling and the implementation of these regulations by dealers, farmers and farm workers in the three sub-counties as some of the pesticides that were being used such as parathion, endrin, dieldrin and carbofuran had been banned by the government. Although most farmers had general information on pesticide usage through various social groups and contact with agricultural extension workers, only 32-43 % of the farmers had received training on pesticide handling and use. Most farmers (65%) had knowledge of safe pesticide handling procedures including reading labels on packages and wearing protective clothing; but many farmers (44% in Buuri, 57% in Imenti South and 60% in Imenti North) did not wear the requisite protective clothing when applying pesticides. The agricultural extension workers (52%) and health care workers (59%) were trained in their work and had at least a certificate level qualification from a tertiary institution. Most agricultural extension workers (95%) and health care workers (71%) had experience of dealing with pesticides and knew how to administer 1 AID against pesticide poisoning, respectively. Farmers (26%) reported experiencing health effects after using pesticides, with most effects being felt after using dimethoate, malathion, carbofuran, carbaryl and heptachlor. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association between various factors (availability of protective clothing, hiring of labourers, farm land size, expenditure on pesticides and expenditure on treatment, respectively) on intoxication from pesticide exposure.
本研究通过对肯尼亚梅鲁伊门蒂北区、伊门蒂南区和布乌里次县随机挑选的园艺种植农户进行职业暴露评估，以了解农药使用习惯、农药知识及农药对健康的影响。在这些地区，园艺作物大量种植用于出口和当地消费。该研究通过向农户家庭、农业推广人员和医护人员发放问卷来开展。调查发现，所有这三个次县的园艺作物种植和畜牧生产中均使用了各类农药，其中使用频率最高的（173名受访者中有超过60人使用）有对硫磷、二嗪农、乐果、氯菊酯、甲基嘧啶磷、异狄氏剂、溴氰菊酯、狄氏剂、残杀威和硫丹。研究发现，政府现行的农药使用及安全处理法规与这三个次县的经销商、农户和农场工人对这些法规的执行情况之间存在差距，因为一些正在使用的农药，如对硫磷、异狄氏剂、狄氏剂和克百威，已被政府禁用。尽管大多数农户通过各种社会群体及与农业推广人员的接触了解了农药使用的一般信息，但只有32% - 43%的农户接受过农药处理和使用方面的培训。大多数农户（65%）了解安全的农药处理程序，包括阅读包装标签和穿着防护服；但许多农户（布乌里为44%，伊门蒂南区为57%，伊门蒂北区为60%）在施用农药时未穿着必要的防护服。农业推广人员（52%）和医护人员（59%）在工作中接受过培训，并且至少拥有高等院校颁发的证书级别的资格。大多数农业推广人员（95%）和医护人员（71%）分别有处理农药的经验，并且知道如何实施农药中毒急救。农户报告称（26%）在使用农药后出现了健康问题，大多数影响是在使用乐果、马拉硫磷、克百威、西维因和七氯之后感觉到的。在农药接触中毒的各种因素（防护服的可获得性、雇佣劳动力、农田面积、农药支出和治疗支出）之间存在统计学上显著的关联（p < 0.05）。
