Health Hazards by Pesticides on Farmers in Citrat Fruit Area / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Blood enzymes and lipids that might cause fluctuations with organophosphate pesticides were measured before and after spraying mecarbam with the conventional way using the nozzle on 76 farmers (37 males and 39 females) in citrat fluit area of Ehime Prefeture.<BR>1. Serum pseudocholinesterase activity measured by the method of Voss et al. was found to be reduced significantly in the female group after spraying over 2 <I>l</I> mecarbam (P>0.05) and remained to be the control level in other groups after spraying.<BR>2. The values of serum pseudocholinesterase activity measured by the method of Bellino et al. was correlated (γ=0.78) with the values by the method of Voss et al., but erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity measured by the method of Bellino et al. did not show any fluctuation after spraying in all the groups.<BR>3. There was no increase in both β-glucronidase and alkaline phosphatase activity in sera.<BR>4. Total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels in sera decreased significantly in males (P<0.05), but did not decrease in females after spraying.<BR>Based on these results, we suggested that spraying of mecarbam for 4 hours with wearing protectors might not induced any danger in farmers.