Skin Hazards Caused by Pesticides on Farmers in Citrus Fruit Area / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we undertook the investigation into skin hazards caused by pesticides on farmers in citrus fruit area in Ehime Prefecture from May to September, 1981.<BR>1) 71.4% in males and 68.5% in females were recognized to have had the contact dermatitis due to pesticides. Dithianone, maneb and manzeb were pesticides which frequently caused skin lesions.<BR>2) The incidence rate of skin hazards caused by spraying pesticides was 0% in males and 3.8% in females in May, 8.2% in males and 13.0% in females in June, and increased to 26.0% in males and 50.0% in females in July.<BR>3) The highest incidence rate on skin lesions due to pesticides in July were observed in farmers who had been engaged in the spraying, and the next dangerous work was the thinning out the superfluous fruits, followed by weeding and so forth.<BR>4) Positive reaction of patch testing was revealed in 0%, 18.8% and 50.0%, with 0.01%, 0.1% and 0.5% preparations of dithianone, and negative reactions were revealed with preparations of thiophanate-methyl, maneb and manzeb, respectively.<BR>These observations suggest that the mechanism of skin lesions due to pesticides was mainly the primary irritating type of contact dermatitis, and that spraying in combination with several pesticides, sweating and hard sunlight take part in skin lesions.