Acute health effects of organophosphorus pesticides on Tanzanian small-scale coffee growers

Abstract

Acute health effects of organophosphorus ( OP ) pesticides on coffee farmworkers in 1991 -1992 in Tanzania are reported to provide a basis for concern over farmworkers being overexposed during application. Workers exposed to OP pesticides ( N = 133 ) were drawn from a population of about 240,000 coffee farmers. They were interviewed on symptoms and personal protection, and their erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase ( AChE ) activity was determined during both spraying and nonspraying period. AChE activities during spraying and nonspraying period were comparable ( mean 32.0, SD 7.8 vs. 33.0, SD 8.7 U / g HgB, P= 0.26 ) . The prevalence of cough, headache, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, nausea, excessive salivation, diarrhea, and vomiting did not differ significantly between spraying and nonspraying periods. There was no suggestion of decreased AChE in exposed subjects who complained of OP -related symptoms compared to symptomless exposed subjects. Use of gloves, long boots, head cover, face cover, and coverall was not significantly associated with AChE activity. No marked AChE depression was found during spraying season, which may explain the lack of association between symptoms and AChE. The fact that only moderately toxic OP pesticides were used may indicate that toxicity was not sufficiently high to cause depression. Experience, however, suggests that occupational poisoning remains a potential serious danger in coffee cultivation in Tanzania.

Pesticide knowledge, practice and attitude and how it affects the health of small-scale farmers in Uganda: A cross-sectional study

“…Moreover only a few used organophosphates and carbamates which are the ones responsible for the most acute toxic symptoms. The main symptoms reported were skin irritation, headache, extreme tiredness, excessive sweating, blurred vision and dizziness which are consistent with other studies [13,14,15,32]. Many of these symptoms could, however, also be due to other factors like hot climate, long exposure to sunlight or other diseases [31].…”

“…al. in Northern Tanzania, close to the border of Uganda, has shown a low quantity of class I pesticides; while a study made in Ghana indicates that small-scale farmers mainly used class II and III pesticides [32,4]. These studies suggest that African small-scale farmers are not as exposed to class I pesticides as Asian and Latin American farmers.…”

Occupational exposure to pesticides and respiratory health

“…In the 1990s, the frequency of respiratory symptoms reported by 133 farmers in Tanzanian coffee plantations was comparable between spraying and nonspraying periods of organophosphate insecticide [42]. In 2003, no difference in the frequency of respiratory symptoms was observed between 100 pilots performing aerial application of agricultural pesticides in the USA and 100 unexposed matched controls [43].…”

Self-reported Health Effects among Short and Long-term Pesticide Sprayers in Arusha, Northern Tanzania: A cross Sectional Study

“…Available data demonstrating unsafe pesticide handling practices in Tanzania suggest a high potential for human exposure, with the highest risk of occupational exposures among pesticide sprayers, farmers, and other agricultural workers. Accordingly, previous Tanzanian questionnaire-based studies identified unsafe pesticide use associated with acute pesticide poisoning as a major problem in the farming community [6,7]. Modern pesticides are reported to cause acute health effects in respondents exposed to high doses with unspecific symptoms such as headache, dizziness, respiratory problems, nausea, vomiting and eventually death.…”