Pesticide exposure and health risk assessment in Durian farmers from Southern of Thailand.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to quantify pesticide concentrations in personal air samples during durian pesticide spraying, assess the associated health risks, and examine the relationships among exposure levels, reported health symptoms, and blood acetylcholinesterase levels in durian farmers.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among durian farmers in the southern region of Thailand. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on general information, pesticide use and self-protection behaviors, and health effects related to pesticide exposure. Personal air sampling was conducted using OSHA Versatile Sampler (OVS) tubes, and pesticide concentrations were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and associations between variables were assessed using the Chi-square test at a 95% confidence level.

RESULTS

The majority of farmers were male (73.2%) and had 1-5 years of pesticide spraying experience (56.1%). Most of them (97.6%) had normal and safe blood acetylcholinesterase levels. After pesticide exposure, the most commonly reported symptoms were nose burning (52.4%), conjunctivitis/eye burning/ocular pruritus (13.4%), sore or dry throat (12.2%), and dizziness or headache (12.2%). Four pesticides were detected with concentrations exceeding the standard limits, including chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, diazinon, and fenobucarb. In contrast, four pesticides were found with concentrations below the standard limits, namely metalaxyl, buprofezin, difenoconazole, and azoxystrobin. Most pesticides had hazard quotient (HQ) values less than 1, except for dichlorvos. A statistically significant association was observed between chlorpyrifos concentrations and abnormalities in all body systems except the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, chlorpyrifos concentration was significantly associated with blood acetylcholinesterase levels. The use of personal protective equipment also showed a statistically significant association with acetylcholinesterase levels in the blood.

CONCLUSIONS

Government authorities should regulate and monitor pesticide use among durian farmers to ensure it does not exceed safety standards and should develop occupational health and safety plans to protect farmers in the future.