IJESD 2020 Vol.11(5): 225-236 ISSN: 2010-0264
doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2020.11.5.1255
doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2020.11.5.1255
Association of Respiratory Impairment with Use of Anti-cholinesterase Pesticides in Migrant Fruit Farm Workers in Eastern Thailand
Anamai Thetkathuek, Teerayuth Sa-ngiamsak, and Panuwat Choedkiattikool
Abstract—Migrant farm workers are exposed to
occupational hazards in terms of exposure to pesticides
containing organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CM). In
cases of mishandling of a pesticide, workers may be exposed to
higher amounts of such toxic particles. Our study involved
assessing factors related to respiratory disorders, including
evidence of impaired lung function and respiratory system
disorder symptoms (RSDS), in 274 migrant farm workers in
Eastern Thailand. The experimental procedure involved
interviews, as well as serum cholinesterase (SChE) and lung
function assessments using a reactive paper blood test and
spirometry, respectively. A multiple logistic regression analysis
of independent variables and RSDS revealed an odds ratio (OR,
95% CI) of 2.787 (1.210, 6.470) in female subjects. Consumption
of >4 glasses of alcohol/week and exposure to dust for >4 h/day
were associated with an OR (95% CI) of 4.675 (1.395, 15.671)
and 2.743 (1.238, 6.093), respectively. The multiple linear
regression analysis of independent variables indicated that the
SChE level, gender, age, and carrying of a sprayer were
associated with as determined from the forced vital capacity (R
= 0.579, R2 = 0.34; p < 0.05) and additionally associated with the
forced expired volume in one second (R = 0.562, R2 = 0.315; p <
0.05). The assessment of respiratory system disorders is
necessary for female farm workers who consume >3 glasses of
alcohol/week, are older in age, and perform tasks that involve
carrying a sprayer. Moreover, the SChE level should be
routinely screened to monitor the health of migrant workers.
Index Terms—Migrant farm workers, cholinesterase level, respiratory impairment, lung function test, fruit farm, Thailand.
The authors are with the Department of Industrial hygiene and safety, Faculty of Public health, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand (e-mail: anamai@buu.ac.th).
Index Terms—Migrant farm workers, cholinesterase level, respiratory impairment, lung function test, fruit farm, Thailand.
The authors are with the Department of Industrial hygiene and safety, Faculty of Public health, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand (e-mail: anamai@buu.ac.th).
Cite: Anamai Thetkathuek, Teerayuth Sa-ngiamsak, and Panuwat Choedkiattikool, "Association of Respiratory Impairment with Use of Anti-cholinesterase Pesticides in Migrant Fruit Farm Workers in Eastern Thailand," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 225-236, 2020.
Copyright © 2020 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).General Information
- ISSN: 2010-0264 (Print); 2972-3698 (Online)
- Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Environ. Sci. Dev.
- Frequency: Bimonthly
- DOI: 10.18178/IJESD
- Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Richard Haynes
- Managing Editor: Ms. Cherry L. Chen
- Indexing: Scopus (CiteScore 2022: 1.4), Google Scholar, CNKI, ProQuest, EBSCO, etc.
- E-mail: ijesd@ejournal.net
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