Table 1.
Characteristics of study group
| Study group
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unexposed Controls (n=61) | Organic Farmers (n=36) | Pesticide workers (n=85) | ||
| Agea | ||||
| (years) | 39.5 ± 12.3 | 39.6 ± 14.5 | 40.0 ± 12.2 | |
|
| ||||
|
Gender
|
||||
| Males | 26 (42.6%) | 17 (47.2%) | 43 (50.6%) | |
| Females | 35 (57.4%) | 19 (52.8%) | 42 (49.4%) | |
|
| ||||
|
Smoking Habits
|
||||
| Non-smokers | 50 (82.0%) | 31 (86.1%) | 80 (94.1%) | |
| Smokers | 11 (18.0%) | 5 (13.9 %) | 5 (5.9%) | |
|
|
||||
| Cigarettes/day | < 15 | 5 (45.5%) | 1 (20.0%) | 4 (80.0%) |
| ≥ 15 | 6 (54.5%) | 4 (80.0%) | 1 (20.0%) | |
|
| ||||
|
Task
|
||||
| Non-applicator | 30 (35.3%) | |||
| Applicator | 55 (64.7%) | |||
|
| ||||
|
Workplace
|
||||
| Open-field | 14 (38.9%) | 13 (15.3%) | ||
| Greenhouses | 6 (7.1%) | |||
| Both | 22 (61.1%) | 66 (77.6%) | ||
|
| ||||
| Duration of employmenta | ||||
| (years) | 9.5 ± 12.3 | 22.7 ± 16.2 | ||
|
| ||||
|
Pesticide preparation
|
||||
| No | 30 (35.3%) | |||
| Yes | 55 (64.7%) | |||
|
| ||||
|
Chemical class of Pesticide (last reported exposure)1
|
||||
| Pyrethroids | 6 (7.1%) | |||
| Carbamates | 20 (23.5%) | |||
| Organophosphates | 17 (20.0%) | |||
| Other | 32 (37.6%) | |||
|
| ||||
|
Use of PPE
|
||||
| No | 25 (29.4%) | |||
| Yes | 60 (70.6%) | |||
|
| ||||
|
Inadequate usage of pesticides
|
||||
| No | 67 (78.8%) | |||
| Yes | 18 (21.2%) | |||
|
| ||||
|
Season
|
||||
| autumn-winter | 61 (100%) | 26 (72.2%) | 46 (54.1%) | |
| spring-summer | 0 | 10 (27.8%) | 39 (45.9%) | |
|
| ||||
|
Previous intoxications
|
||||
| No | 79 (92.9%) | |||
| Yes | 6 (7.1%) | |||
a
Mean ± SD; PPE: personal protective equipment
1
Ten of the exposed individuals were not able to report the chemical concerning their last exposure