Health symptoms associated with pesticides exposure among flower and onion pesticide applicators in Arusha region

Abstract

Background: Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture to control harmful pests and prevent crop yield losses or product damage. In Tanzania several studies have been conducted on health symptoms of pesticides to agricultural workers. However there are few studies on neurological health symptoms associated with pesticide exposure in flower and onion farms. Objective: The study focused on health symptoms associated with pesticides exposure among flower and onion pesticide applicators in Arusha region. Material and Methods: The study used cross sectional study design with quantitative approach, it employed the use of interview based questionnaires, observation checklist and laboratory analysis of 140 cholinesterase test at flowers and onion farms. A multistage sampling technique with probability methods was used to select study area (districts, wards and villages). A simple random sampling was used to select study participants. Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 20. Results: About 98% of pesticide used was organophosphate and only 2% was carbamate used in the area to protect crops from the effect of diseases, pests and weeds. The prevalence of neurological health symptoms reported more to onion farms, with higher body weakness (91.1%) pain in part of the body (64.3%) but the situation differ from flower farms were reported in excessive sweating followed by body weakness. More than 39% of the study participants from onion and 19% from flower farms had Acetylcholinesterase levels below the normal range. The mean average of participants from onion farms was 27.882 ± 3.829 U/g Hgb of cholinesterase test level whereas participants from flower farms was 25.146 ± 3.9607 U/g Hgb of cholinesterase test level which was lower by 2.736 U/g Hgb compared to those of onion farms. About 39.3% and 19% of participants from onion and flower farms had cholinesterase level below the limit level respectively. Study shows that only 60% of pesticide applicator use personal protective equipment when exposed to pesticide Conclusion: High proportion of neurological health symptoms and cholinesterase test depression was noted among pesticide applicators in both farms. There is a need to conduct further studies to ascertain causal to such high neurological health symptoms