Risk Assessment on Pesticide Exposure by Biological Monitoring among Farmers: A Case Study in Tambon Kangsanamnang, Nakhonratchasima Province

Abstract

Background and objective: Farmers in Thailand are now prone to increase the use of pesticides in farming, which might cause a long term adverse health effects and chemical residues accumulated in the body. This study aimed to determine the risk levels of pesticide exposure using blood cholinesterase enzyme as indicator and to study the factors related to pesticide exposure among farmers in Tambon Kangsanamnang, Kangsanamnang district, Nakhonratchasima province.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytic research was conducted in April 2011 by face-to-face interviews with the structural questionnaires. The screening for blood cholinesterase enzymes levels with the reactive paper was done among 110 farmers in Tambon Kangsanamnang. Data analyses were descriptive statistics and inferential statistics for Chi-square at 95% confidence interval.

Results: The results of blood cholinesterase indicated that 27.3% of farmers were at risk detected as unsafe level, 32.7% were at risk level, 30.9% were at safe level and 9.1% had normal blood cholinesterase enzymes. There was no statistically significant correlation between studied factors and risk levels of pesticide exposure.

Conclusions: Most farmers were at risk and unsafe level of pesticide exposures. There should be repeated test for red blood cell cholinesterase in the laboratory for the risk group. To prevent chronic exposure and the adverse health effect, health care center together collaborated with local administrative organizations should provide the health surveillance program and annual pesticide exposure monitoring in farmers.

Keywords: pesticide, farmer, cholinesterase, risk factor