Pesticide poisoning: preliminary findings in Balqa, Jordan

ABSTRACT

To examine the magnitude of the health problem posed by manipulation of pesticides a study was undertaken at Balqa, Jordan. The methodology comprised two approaches. First, the collection of all records of pesticide poisoning among residents of the Governorate seen at medical and health facilities, and second, an estimation of cases treated by the injection of atropine as an antidote. Results of the study showed 51 clinically diagnosed cases, including six deaths, or an incidence rate and a death rate of 33.8 and 4.0 per 100,000 population, respectively, in 1979. Estimation through atropine injections could be obtained only for South Shuna where the total of estimated and clinically diagnosed cases was 60. This new total yields an incidence rate of 11.32 per 1,000 population in South Shuna. Pesticides are a diverse family of chemical compounds used both at home and in agriculture. Besides their effects on plant pathogens, insects, weeds, and rodents, these compounds can be toxic and sometimes fatal to human beings. Modernization of agriculture in Jordan brought in the widespread use of pesticides. The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude of health problem posed by the manipulation of these chemicals