Pesticides contaminated dust exposure, risk diagnosis and exposure markers in occupational and residential settings of Lahore, Pakistan

Mixtures of toxic organic micropollutants compromise the safety of water resources in urban agglomerations in low- and medium-income countries: The example of Lahore, Pakistan

Contamination of water resources with mixtures of organic micropollutants (OMP) including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals is a serious threat to aquatic organisms and human health. Long-term exposure to such pollutants may cause detrimental effects even at very low concentrations. Water resources in urban agglomerations in low- and medium-income countries may be under particular pressure due to high population densities, significant industrial activities, and limited water treatment and management resources. In these areas, many inhabitants directly rely on healthy urban water resources. Using the agglomeration of Lahore, Pakistan, as a case, we studied the occurrence, spatial distribution, and toxic risks of OMP mixtures in different urban water resources using target screening with liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. In total, 266 of 576 target analytes were detected in at least one of the 200 samples taken from groundwater, canals, River Ravi and drains within the urban agglomeration. Notably, very high concentrations ranging from 10 to over 100 μg L-1 were found for highly toxic pesticides including several fungicides such as picoxystrobin, the transformation product phthalamic acid, and imazalil, the insecticide etofenprox but also industrial chemicals stemming for example from traffic such as 2-naphthalene sulfonic acid. Our study revealed high toxic risks particularly for invertebrates, fish and algae, with etofenprox as a dominant risk driver. This compound is extensively used in Lahore to control insect vectors of malaria and dengue fever in the urban agglomeration. Mixture risks were assessed using a toxic unit (TU) approach based on organism group specific effect concentrations, complemented with a risk quotient (RQ) approach using the lowest predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs). Acute and chronic risk thresholds were frequently exceeded, often by many orders of magnitude. These very high mixture risks strongly exceed those with previous studies in Europe, Africa and South America.

Sex and adrenal hormones in association with insecticide biomarkers among adolescents living in ecuadorian agricultural communities

BACKGROUND

Organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid insecticides have resulted in adrenal and gonadal hormone disruption in animal and in vitro studies; limited epidemiologic evidence exists in humans. We assessed relationships of urinary insecticide metabolite concentrations with adrenal and gonadal hormones in adolescents living in Ecuadorean agricultural communities.

METHODS

In 2016, we examined 522 Ecuadorian adolescents (11-17y, 50.7% female, 22% Indigenous; ESPINA study). We measured urinary insecticide metabolites, blood acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE), and salivary testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 17β-estradiol, and cortisol. We used general linear models to assess linear (β = % hormone difference per 50% increase of metabolite concentration) and curvilinear relationships (β2 = hormone difference per unit increase in squared ln-metabolite) between ln-metabolite or AChE and ln-hormone concentrations, stratified by sex, adjusting for anthropometric, demographic, and awakening response variables. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression was used to assess non-linear associations and interactions.

RESULTS

The organophosphate metabolite malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA) had positive associations with testosterone (βboys = 5.88% [1.21%, 10.78%], βgirls = 4.10% [-0.02%, 8.39%]), and cortisol (βboys = 6.06 [-0.23%, 12.75%]. Para-nitrophenol (organophosphate) had negatively-trending curvilinear associations, with testosterone (β2boys = -0.17 (-0.33, -0.003), p = 0.04) and DHEA (β2boys = -0.49 (-0.80, -0.19), p = 0.001) in boys. The neonicotinoid summary score (βboys = 5.60% [0.14%, 11.36%]) and the neonicotinoid acetamiprid-N-desmethyl (βboys = 3.90% [1.28%, 6.58%]) were positively associated with 17β-estradiol, measured in boys only. No associations between the pyrethroid 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and hormones were observed. In girls, bivariate response associations identified interactions of MDA, Para-nitrophenol, and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (organophosphates) with testosterone and DHEA concentrations. In boys, we observed an interaction of MDA and Para-nitrophenol with DHEA. No associations were identified for AChE.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed evidence of endocrine disruption for specific organophosphate and neonicotinoid metabolite exposures in adolescents. Urinary organophosphate metabolites were associated with testosterone and DHEA concentrations, with stronger associations in boys than girls. Urinary neonicotinoids were positively associated with 17β-estradiol. Longitudinal repeat-measures analyses would be beneficial for causal inference.

Exposure risk to rural Residents: Insights into particulate and gas phase pesticides in the Indoor-Outdoor nexus

Rural residents are exposed to both particulate and gaseous pesticides in the indoor-outdoor nexus in their daily routine. However, previous personal exposure assessment mostly focuses on single aspects of the exposure, such as indoor or gaseous exposure, leading to severe cognition bias to evaluate the exposure risks. In this study, residential dust and silicone wristbands (including stationary and personal wearing ones) were used to screen pesticides in different phases and unfold the hidden characteristics of personal exposure via indoor-outdoor nexus in intensive agricultural area. Mento-Carlo Simulation was performed to assess the probabilistic exposure risk by transforming adsorbed pesticides from wristbands into air concentration, which explores a new approach to integrate particulate (dust) and gaseous (silicone wristbands) pesticide exposures in indoor and outdoor environment. The results showed that particulate pesticides were more concentrated in indoor, whereas significantly higher concentrations were detected in stationary outdoor wristbands (p < 0.05). Carbendazim and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in dust and stationary wristbands. Higher pesticide concentration was found in personal wristbands worn by farmers, with the maximum value of 2048 ng g-1 for difenoconazole. Based on the probabilistic risk assessment, around 7.1 % of farmers and 2.6 % of bystanders in local populations were potentially suffering from chronic health issues. One third of pesticide exposures originated mainly from occupational sources while the rest derived from remoting dissipation. Unexpectedly, 43 % of bystanders suffered the same levels of exposure as farmers under the co-existence of occupational and non-occupational exposures. Differed compositions of pesticides were found between environmental samples and personal pesticide exposure patterns, highlighting the need for holistic personal exposure measurements.

Malathion or diazinon exposure and male reproductive toxicity: a systematic review of studies performed with rodents

Malathion and diazinon are pesticides commonly used in agriculture to avoid insects that damage crops; however, they may cause impairment to the male genital system of exposed humans. The present work carried out a systematic review of the literature concerning the primary studies that assessed the reproductive effects resulting from male rats and mice exposed to malathion or diazinon. The search for articles was performed on the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and SciELO, using different combinations of the search terms "malathion," "diazinon," "mice," "rats," "male reproduction," "fertility," and "sperm," followed by the Boolean operators AND or OR. The results obtained indicate that both pesticides act as reproductive toxicants by reducing sperm quality, diminishing hormonal concentrations, inducing increased oxidative stress, and provoking histopathological damage in reproductive organs. Then, the exposure to malathion and diazinon may provoke diminished levels of testosterone by increasing acetylcholine stimulation in the testis through muscarinic receptors, thus, providing a reduction in steroidogenic activity in Leydig cells, whose effect is related to lower levels of testosterone in rodents, and consequently, it is associated with decreased fertility. Considering the toxic effects on the male genital system of rodents and the possible male reproductive toxicity in humans, it is recommended the decreased use of these pesticides and their replacement for others that show no or few toxic effects for non-target animals.

Distribution and health risks of organic micropollutants from home dusts in Malaysia

Indoor dust is an important medium to evaluate human exposure to emerging organic contaminants. The principal aim of this study was to determine overall status of organic micropollutants (OMPs) of indoor dust in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and assess their corresponding health risks. One hundred thirty-three OMPs, ascribed to 13 chemical groups, were screened by Automated Identification and Quantification System with a GC-MS database. The concentrations of OMPs ranged between 460 and 4000 μg/g, with the median concentration of 719 μg/g. The dominant chemical groups were ascribed to n-alkanes (median: 274 μg/g), plasticizers (151 μg/g), sterols (120 μg/g), and pesticides (42.6 μg/g). Cholestrol was the most abundant compound (median: 115 μg/g). Different sources and usage patterns of OMPs in various houses were expected. Toxicity values of OMPs were obtained from existing databases or predicted by quantitative structure-activity relationship models. Cumulative hazard quotients for OMPs through ingestion route were lower than one for all the dust samples, demonstrating that there was no remarkable non-cancer risk. The cancer risks of these OMPs were greater than 10^-4, with cholestrol dominating 99.1% of the carcinogenic risks, which suggested that there was a significant cancer risk. This study might offer a benchmark to ensure the safety of chemical usages in future in Malaysia.

Pesticide Safety Awareness among Rural Farmers in Dadinkowa, Gombe State, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Because of the longer growing season and warmer climate, weeds and insect pests spread are on the rise, thereby increasing the demand for pesticide use and consequently harmful emissions that further exacerbate climate change. Unsafe occupational exposure to pesticide residue is associated with a lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted for this study in which a face-to-face administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 285 respondents who were selected using convenient snowball sampling technique. Knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide storage, handling, application, and containers disposal among the farmers were measured. Categorical variables were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency count and percentage, while numeric items were summarized using mean and standard deviation.

RESULTS

Dichlorvos and Perfekthion 2.5 EC listed in the WHO Group I pesticide classification were among the most frequently used pesticides. Symptoms of pesticide intoxication reported include headaches (56.1%), dizziness (56.5%), skin irritation (53.3%), and fatigue (45.6%), respectively. Farmers' behaviour during pesticide application include blowing clogged nozzle with mouth (42.7%), talking while spraying (59.8%), and mixing pesticide with bare hands (31.1%). Furthermore, 38.5% of them use pesticide containers for other domestic purposes.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic factors, i.e., educational level, age, and years of farm practice, influenced farmers safety behaviour. Based on these findings, an approach that will help strengthen capacity building programmes and the enhancement of knowledge-based initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pest-control methods should be encouraged.

Human Exposure to Pesticides in Dust from Two Agricultural Sites in South Africa

Over the last decades, concern has arisen worldwide about the negative impacts of pesticides on the environment and human health. Exposure via dust ingestion is important for many chemicals but poorly characterized for pesticides, particularly in Africa. We investigated the spatial and temporal variations of 30 pesticides in dust and estimated the human exposure via dust ingestion, which was compared to inhalation and soil ingestion. Indoor dust samples were collected from thirty-eight households and two schools located in two agricultural regions in South Africa and were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We found 10 pesticides in dust, with chlorpyrifos, terbuthylazine, carbaryl, diazinon, carbendazim, and tebuconazole quantified in >50% of the samples. Over seven days, no significant temporal variations in the dust levels of individual pesticides were found. Significant spatial variations were observed for some pesticides, highlighting the importance of proximity to agricultural fields or of indoor pesticide use. For five out of the nineteen pesticides quantified in dust, air, or soil (i.e., carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, diuron and propiconazole), human intake via dust ingestion was important (>10%) compared to inhalation or soil ingestion. Dust ingestion should therefore be considered in future human exposure assessment to pesticides.

Dimethoate residues in Pakistan and mitigation strategies through microbial degradation: a review

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are used extensively for crop protection worldwide due to their high water solubility and relatively low persistence in the environment compared to other pesticides, such as organochlorines. Dimethoate is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the thio-organophosphate group of OPs. It is applied to cash crops, animal farms, and houses. It has been used in Pakistan since the 1960s, either alone or in a mixture with other OPs or pyrethroids. However, the uncontrolled use of this pesticide has resulted in residual accumulation in water, soil, and tissues of plants via the food chain, causing toxic effects. This review article has compiled and analyzed data reported in the literature between 1998 and 2021 regarding dimethoate residues and their microbial bioremediation. Different microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae have shown potential for bioremediation. However, an extensive role of bacteria has been observed compared to other microorganisms. Twenty bacterial, three fungal, and one algal genus with potential for the remediation of dimethoate have been assessed. Active bacterial biodegraders belong to four classes (i) alpha-proteobacteria, (ii) gamma-proteobacteria, (iii) beta-proteobacteria, and (iv) actinobacteria and flavobacteria. Microorganisms, especially bacterial species, are a sustainable technology for dimethoate bioremediation from environmental samples. Yet, new microbial species or consortia should be explored.

OBOMod - Integrated modelling framework for residents' exposure to pesticides

BACKGROUND

Pesticides can be transported from the site of application to homes via different routes and lead to exposure of residents, raising concerns regarding health effects. We built a deterministic model framework (OBOmod) to assess exposure of residents living near fields where pesticides are applied.

METHODS

OBOmod connects five independent models operating on an hourly timescale and high spatial resolution (meters). Models include descriptions of spray drift, volatilization, atmospheric transport and dispersion, exchange between outdoor and indoor air and exchange between indoor air and dust. Fourteen bulb field applications under different weather conditions and comprising 12 pesticides were simulated. Each simulation included the first seven days after the application. The concentrations computed with OBOmod were compared with those measured in outdoor and indoor air and the amounts measured in indoor dust samples.

RESULTS

Model evaluation indicated suitability of the developed framework to estimate outdoor and indoor air concentrations. For most pesticides, model accuracy was good. The framework explained about 30% to 95% of the temporal and spatial variability of air concentrations. For 20% of the simulations, the framework explained more than 35% of spatial variability of concentrations in dust. In general, OBOmod estimates remained within one order of magnitude from measured levels. Calculations showed that in addition to spray drift during application, volatilization from the field after spraying and pesticides in house dust are important routes for residents' exposure to pesticides.

CONCLUSIONS

Our framework covers many processes needed to calculate exposure of residents to pesticides. The evaluation phase shows that, with the exception of the dust model, the framework can be used in support of health and epidemiological studies, and can serve as a tool to support development of regulations and policy making regarding pesticide use.

Use, exposure, and environmental impacts of pesticides in Pakistan: a critical review

The excessive use of pesticides is posing major threats to humans and the environment. However, the environmental exposure and impact of pesticides in Pakistan have yet been systematically reviewed, despite the country's leading role in pesticide use. Therefore, this study identified and then reviewed 85 peer-reviewed scientific publications on the topic. It was found that, compared to the worldwide average, Pakistan had high consumptions of pesticides, with an alarming increase of 1169% in the last two decades. The quantities of pesticides used followed an order of pyrethroids > organophosphates > organochlorines > carbamates, but organochlorines were the most problematic due to their environmental occurrence, the ability to transport across the media, and identified human and ecological toxicities. Additionally, the misuse or overuse of pesticides by farmers is prevailing due to insufficient knowledge about the risks, which leads to high risks in occupational exposure. These issues are further aggravated by the illegal use or continuous impacts of banned organochlorine pesticides. For the future, we suggested the establishment of organized monitoring, assessment, and reporting program based on environmental laws to minimize contamination and exposure to pesticides in Pakistan. Remediation of the contaminated areas to mitigate the adverse environmental-cum-health impacts are recommended in the most affected regions.

Ornipural® Mitigates Malathion-Induced Hepato-Renal Damage in Rats via Amelioration of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers, Restoration of Antioxidant Activity, and Attenuation of Inflammatory Response

The current study was instigated by investigating the ameliorative potential of Ornipural^® solution against the hepato-renal toxicity of malathion. A total number of 35 male Wistar albino rats were divided equally into five groups. Group 1 served as control and received normal saline intraperitoneally. Group 2, the sham group, were administered only corn oil (vehicle of malathion) orally. Group 3 was orally intoxicated by malathion in corn oil at a dose of 135 mg/kg BW via intra-gastric gavage. Group 4 received malathion orally concomitantly with Ornipural^® intraperitoneally. Group 5 was given Ornipural^® solution in saline via intraperitoneal injection at a dose of (1 mL/kg BW). Animals received the treatment regime for 30 days. Histopathological examination revealed the harmful effect of malathion on hepatic and renal tissue. The results showed that malathion induced a significant decrease in body weight and marked elevation in the activity of liver enzymes, LDH, and ACP. In contrast, the activity of AchE and Paraoxonase was markedly decreased. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the serum content of bilirubin, cholesterol, and kidney injury markers. A significant elevation in malondialdehyde, nitric oxide (nitrite), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine was observed, along with a substantial reduction in antioxidant activity. Furthermore, malathion increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha, the upregulation of IL-1B, BAX, and IFN-β genes, and the downregulation of Nrf2, Bcl2, and HO-1 genes. Concurrent administration of Ornipural^® with malathion attenuated the detrimental impact of malathion through ameliorating metabolic biomarkers, restoring antioxidant activity, reducing the inflammatory response, and improving pathologic microscopic alterations. It could be concluded that Ornipural^® solution demonstrates hepatorenal defensive impacts against malathion toxicity at biochemical, antioxidants, molecular, and cellular levels.

ATR-FTIR and LC-Q-ToF-MS analysis of indoor dust from different micro-environments located in a tropical metropolitan area

Indoor dust is an important matrix that exposes humans to a broad spectrum of chemicals. The information on the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), their metabolites, and re-emerging contaminants in indoor dust is rather limited. As the indoor environment is exposed to various chemicals from personal care products, furniture, building materials, machineries and cooking/cleaning products, there is a high chance of the presence of hazardous contaminants in indoor dust. In the present study, dust samples were collected from four different micro indoor environments (photocopying centres, residential houses, classrooms, and ATM cabins) located in an urban environment located in India's southwestern part. The collected samples were subjected to ATR - FTIR and LC-Q-ToF-MS analyses. The ATR - FTIR analysis indicated the presence of aldehydes, anhydrides, carboxylic acids, esters, sulphonic acids, and asbestos - a re-emerging contaminant. A total of 19 compounds were identified from the LC-Q-ToF-MS analysis. These compounds belonged to various classes such as plasticisers, plasticiser metabolites, photoinitiators, personal care products, pharmaceutical intermediates, surfactants, and pesticides. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the presence of CECs in indoor environments in Kerala and also the suspected occurrence of pesticides (metaldehyde and ethofumesate) in classroom dust in India. Another important highlight of this work is the demonstration of ATR-FTIR as a complementary technique for LC-Q-ToF-MS in the analysis of indoor pollution while dealing with totally unknown pollutants. These results further highlight the occurrence of probable chemically modified metabolites in the tropical climatic conditions in a microenvironment.

Assessment of organochlorine pesticides and health risk in tobacco farming associated with River Barandu of Pakistan

Diffuse pesticide pollution through tobacco fields is a serious threat to both natural integrities and living beings because tobacco is known as a pesticide-intensive crop. Upsurge in the knowledge of detrimental impacts caused by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has made them a burning issue particularly in developing countries. Pakistan is a country famous for its agro-based economy and simultaneously is the second most significant pesticide consumer in South Asian countries. The studied area is tobacco hub of the country. Thus, the present work is aimed to investigate the contamination profile that highlights the ecological and health risk posed by OCPs in River Barandu, located in the proximity of tobacco farming region. ΣOCP levels in sediments ranged between 32.918 and 98.810 ng/g and in water between 0.340 and 0.935 μg/L. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and heptachlor were the most prevailing pesticides in both matrices of the river. Isomeric composition of DDTs and HCHs highlighted that the β-HCH and p,p'-DDT were dominant isomers in water, while α-HCH and p,p'-DDT in sediment compartment. Enantiomeric compositions of HCH and DDT indicate both recent and historic uses of these compounds in the area. Indirect contamination through nearby tobacco clusters has been depicted through spatial analysis. Ecological risk assessment based upon the risk quotient (RQ) method revealed that α-endosulfan, dieldrin, heptachlor, and ∑HCHs represent a very high level of ecological risks. The OCPs' lifetime carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with dermal exposure to river's water were considered nominal for surrounding populations. However, detailed ecological and health risk studies are recommended considering the bio-accumulating nature of these contaminants in the food chain.

Organophosphate pesticide exposure among farm women and children: Status of micronutrients, acetylcholinesterase activity, and oxidative stress

Nutritional status plays a major role in determining the possible adverse health outcomes due to pesticide toxicity. The objective of the present study was to assess the organophosphorus pesticide residue levels among farm women (FW) (24-45years) and farm children (FC) (9-12 and 13-15years) belonging to the Rangareddy district (Telangana, India) along with their micronutrient status, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, and oxidative stress levels. Residues of Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Malathion, Monocrotophos and Phosalone were found in the serum samples of FW and FC along with significantly low levels of vitamins and minerals. Inhibition of AChE activity was observed in FW and FC and altered oxidative stress parameters among FW. Correlation studies have found significant associations between the pesticide residues, micronutrients and antioxidant enzymes. The study suggests an association between pesticide exposure coupled with micronutrient deficiency, induced AChE inhibition, and oxidative stress.

Etoxazole induces testicular malfunction in mice by dysregulating mitochondrial function and calcium homeostasis

Epidemiological relationships between pesticide use and male infertility have been suggested for a long time. Etoxazole (ETX), an oxazoline pesticide, has been extensively used for pest eradication. It is considered relatively safe and has low mammalian toxicity because it specifically inhibits chitin synthesis. However, ETX may have toxic effects on the reproductive system. In this study, we examined the effects of ETX on the reproductive system using mouse testis cell lines (TM3 for Leydig cells and TM4 for Sertoli cells) and C57BL/6 male mice. We confirmed that ETX has anti-proliferative effects on the TM3 and TM4 cell lines. Moreover, ETX induced mitochondrial dysfunction and hampers calcium homeostasis. Western blot analysis of MAPK and Akt signaling cascades was performed to demonstrate the mode of action of ETX at a molecular level. Moreover, ETX induced misregulation of genes related to testicular function. Upon oral administration of ETX in C57BL/6 male mice, testis weight was reduced and transcriptional expression related to testis function was altered. These results indicate that ETX induces testicular toxicity by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium imbalance and regulating gene expression.

Organophosphate toxicity: updates of malathion potential toxic effects in mammals and potential treatments

Organophosphorus insecticides toxicity is still considered a major global health problem. Malathion is one of the most commonly used organophosphates nowadays, as being considered to possess relatively low toxicity compared with other organophosphates. However, widespread use may lead to excessive exposure from multiple sources. Mechanisms of MAL toxicity include inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme, change of oxidants/antioxidants balance, DNA damage, and facilitation of apoptotic cell damage. Exposure to malathion has been associated with different toxicities that nearly affect every single organ in our bodies, with CNS toxicity being the most well documented. Malathion toxic effects on liver, kidney, testis, ovaries, lung, pancreas, and blood were also reported. Moreover, malathion was considered as a genotoxic and carcinogenic chemical compound. Evidence exists for adverse effects associated with prenatal and postnatal exposure in both animals and humans. This review summarizes the toxic data available about malathion in mammals and discusses new potential therapeutic modalities, with the aim to highlight the importance of increasing awareness about its potential risk and reevaluation of the allowed daily exposure level.

Eliminating Take-Home Exposures: Recognizing the Role of Occupational Health and Safety in Broader Community Health

Toxic contaminants inadvertently brought from the workplace to the home, known as take-home or paraoccupational exposures, have often been framed as a problem that arises due to unsanitary worker behavior. This review article conceptualizes take-home exposures as a public health hazard by (i) investigating the history of take-home contaminants and how they have been studied, (ii) arguing that an ecosocial view of the problem is essential for effective prevention, (iii) summarizing key structural vulnerabilities that lead populations to be at risk, and (iv) discussing future research and prevention effort needs. This article reframes take-home exposures as one of many chronic pathways that contributes to persistent health disparities among workers, their families, and communities. Including the role of work in community health will increase the comprehensiveness of prevention efforts for contaminants such as lead and pesticides that contribute to environmental disparities.

Environmental Exposure to Pesticides and Breast Cancer in a Region of Intensive Agribusiness Activity in Brazil: A Case-Control Study

Background: Breast cancer is a serious public health problem and is the second most prevalent cancer type in the world. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the association between pesticide use and breast cancer in a region of intense agribusiness activity in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on women living in the city of Rondonópolis, in the south of Mato Grosso state. There were 85 cases of women with confirmed breast cancer and 266 controls who were randomly selected from primary health care users. Bivariate and stratified analyses were performed. Multiple logistic regression was then performed, keeping in the final model the factors with a significance level lower than or equal to 0.05 or considered important according to apriori biological criteria. Results: In the final model, living near cropland with pesticides (OR: 2.37; CI: 95% 1.78–3.16) and women aged over 50 years who experienced early menarche (OR: 2.08; CI: 95% 1.06–4.12) had a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to control subjects. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of exposure to pesticides as an environmental risk factor for the development of breast cancer among women.

Residues of endosulfan in cotton growing area of Vehari, Pakistan: an assessment of knowledge and awareness of pesticide use and health risks

This study is based on self-reported information collected from selected farmers of Vehari District, Punjab, Pakistan, to determine their technical knowledge and awareness about pesticide use and associated environmental and health risks. Moreover, soil contamination by routinely used persistent organochlorine pesticide, endosulfan, was also evaluated. Survey data revealed very low literacy rate (on an average 9th grade education) and technical knowledge (almost missing) of the farmers in Vehari District. The farmers are unable to fully read and understand the instructions about the use of pesticide marked on the containers. They are not fully aware of pesticide persistence and toxicity (73%), unable to identify cotton pests and diseases (86%), and do not know which crop to grow in cotton adjacent fields (100%). Data also revealed that the farmers (100%) do not follow safety measure during pesticide application and are unaware of pesticide toxicity symptoms in human as well as the basic first-aid practices (89%).Poor literacy rate and lack of technical knowledge of farmers in Vehari regarding pesticide use and handling are posing serious environmental and health risks among the local inhabitants, particularly among farmers. Soil analysis results showed that concentration of α- and β-endosulfan ranged from 0-14 to 0-14.64 μg/mg, respectively. Principal component analysis showed that soil organic matter is the key soil parameter controlling the occurrence and fate of endosulfan under sandy loam soil conditions of Vehari District. There is a serious need of improving technical and environmental knowledge of farmer about pesticide risks on human health in the studied area, in particular, and the entire country in general. Findings are of great use for policymaking in Pakistan to minimize pesticide risks in Pakistan.