Study of occurence of nephropathy among farmers exposed to pesticides in rice agriculture in egypt

ABSTRACT

This work aimed at studying the effect of exposure to a pesticide [Fu radan] used in. rice agriculture in Egypt, on renal junctions for the purpose of detection of nephropathy. The prospective study was carried out during the season of the year 1996 and comprised 189 rural males free from any renal impairment or other illnesses leading to renal affection, out of which 92 farmers were exposed to the pesticide and 97 controls. The results revealed development of microalbuminuria in 28.26% of the exposed farmers compared to none of the other group with a statistically significant difference [P<0.01]. Urinary alkaline phosphatase became significantly higher among the exposed than the other group [19.95 +/- 14.38 and 4.83 +/- 1.94 U/24 hours respectively]. Also, serum creatinine was elevated among the first group after exposure to the pesticide [1.06 +/- 0.16 mg/ dl] to be significantly higher than among the second group [0.83 +/- 0.14 mg/dl] [P<0.01]. Although the values of urinary alkaline phosphatase and serum creatinine among the exposed farmers by the end of the study were still within the normal range yet their values increased significantly after exposure to the pesticide [P<0.01]. In conclusion, exposure of the agricultural workers to this pesticide was found to affect both glomerular and tubular renal functions. Hence, we should stress on rural community awareness about the ways of exposure and the hazards of pesticides training of Egyptian farmers about the appropriate use of personal protective equipment and personal hygiene. Further studies are recommended to show the persistence of renal affection among the exposed farmers