Summary
This study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of pesticides on pesticide exposed workers. For this purpose total 100 workers of different age groups were sampled from different districts of Punjab, Pakistan. They were compared with 100 healthy non-exposed persons. Workers blood, serum and urine samples were collected. Blood samples were analyzed by using hematological analyzer and serum collected in this study use for different serological tests. Urine was also use for urine tests. Hematological parameters including hemoglobin, erythrocytes count, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelets were non-significant when compared with non-exposed persons but total leucocyte count, neutrophils and eosinophils were significantly increased. Lymphocytes and monocytes were significantly decreased. Serological parameters alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased. Total protein, albumin and globulin were significantly decreased. All the significant results were observed in above 36 years old workers. Hence it is concluded that pesticides induce clinic-hematological and serum biochemical abnormalities in pesticides exposed workers.
INTRODUCTION
The world food mass production has increased twofold than previous fifty years by Green Revolution. The number of human population has been raised more than twice extending 7 billion people from 1960 to present. In 2050 the population is supposed to move up to the 30 percent to the present more than 9.4 billion. The demand for food supplies is spreading out to increase by 70 percent due to increasing worldwide communities (Freibauer et al., 2011).
They are broadly used in most of agronomical crop cultivated areas for preventing or minimizing losses caused by pests as a result can raise and elevate the quantity and also improve the quality of yield mass production which is usually evaluable for the producers as well as the consumers (Cooper and Dobson , 2007; Dias et al., 2015; Jamal et al., 2016). Use of pesticides can also enhance the security and most of the time nutritional importance of the food (Narayanasamy , 2006; Falzone et al., 2016). There are various other types of benefit that may be attributed to pesticides, anyhow human population most of the time go neglected these advantages (Damalas, 2009; Ghaffar et al., 2015; Dutta et al., 2016). Therefore from the school of thought in agronomical sector can be analyzed as labor- saving, profitable and productive practice to control the pests (Oerke and Dehne, 2004; Surajudeen et al., 2014).
The use of pesticides help the farmers to overcome the pest, on the hand that would reduce the yield production obtained from crop fields. Anyhow the role accompanied by the severe and dangerous results from health hazards produced by pesticides (Gangemi et al., 2016; Pradhan and Pradhan, 2016). Besides of pesticides demand and worldwide usage, Consideration about harmful health hazards applying from the exposure of farmers while blending and expand over pesticides to the crop field at work in fields and farms which is already practices by pesticides and their effect on each type of food even in drinking water for the humans have been raised (Wilson and Tisdell, 2001; Arshad et al., 2016). Such type of occurrence have activated a number of accidental poisoning in usual usage than may bring about severe health damages to the farmer in short or long term and also disturb the ecosystem badly (Power, 2010; Martínez-Valenzuela et al., 2016; Jamal et al., 2016).
Due to agriculture practices in farms and fields human population may acquire exposure, farmer and worker that work in the industries of bearing the pesticides while introductory practices burdening the transporting (Fenske et al., 2005; Mathew et al., 2015). In most of cases exposure can occur from chemical discharge and accidental chemical flow. Several agents can put damages due the exposure to the skin due to clothes (Surgan,et al., 2010; Hernández et al., 2013). Solid particles can create dust when being move to the equipment, result in come contact to skin and bring about severe health damages such as the infection of eyes and the problem of respiratory system.
The exposure in overall human population happen primarily drinking of water and in most of the situation eating food contaminated with pesticides. Sometimes, exposure can also happen living close to a work place (Jaga and Dharmani, 2003; Sudjaroen, 2014). In developing countries, due to poor application methods, improper maintenance, inappropriate spraying tools and poor storage practices farmers come across to the sever risks of pesticides exposure due to the usage of toxic and poisonous chemicals that are prohibited in other advanced countries. (Ecobichon, 2001; García-García 2016). Old pesticide bottles for foodstuff and water storage are often reused by farmers. (Asogwa and Dongo 2009; Gentil et al., 2016). In the agricultural fields exposure and pesticide containers put a health threats. (Recena et al., 2006; van den Berg et al., 2016).
Most are poisonous and contains harmful ingredients by their mood of nature that effects at adverse level of toxicity, for that reason some pesticides are made to remove pathogenic organisms and therefore produces some sort of danger. Human fitness, wildlife and environment are badly effected by serious threats caused. (Berny, 2007; Samsuddin et al., 2016). By killing biologically important species such as natural competitors of pests and increase the danger of pest resistance pesticide applications put harmful and non-profitable results. . In addition, many end consumers have poor familiar with harm hazards which are used as the key role of the exact applications and the basic precautionary measures. (Damalas et al., 2006; Negatu et al., 2016) Even by awareness of the damaging effects, some farmers are not capable to adapt this consciousness in their work (Zyoud et al., 2010; Blanco-Muñoz et al., 2016).
It is essential to examine the factual risks of pesticides to sustain field production exerted by pesticides on the humans and atmosphere. (Kipsengeret et al., 2016) One of the questions related to policy-making on pesticides drawback is to set up the most favorable balance achieved between the increased field productivity and health problems caused by the pesticides (Pimentel et al., 2005; Gangemi et al., 2016).
Numerous cases of pesticide exposure detected throughout the world each year. These health problems are harmful subjected on the standard and kind of pesticides exposure. Usually, farmers who are openly exposed to pesticides are at high risk as compared to those who are not directly endanger to pesticides exposure. Besides, now a days pesticide exposure is well recognized by making diversity of short term health disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting and long term health danger comprising of cancer, diabetes, neurological impairment, respiratory systems diseases, fetal and genetic diseases. (Freeman et al., 2005; Yaqub et al., 2014).
Due to exposure and its residues which remained in vegetables, fruits and in water caused severe health problems on workers and consumers. (Burger et al, 2008; Pan et al., 2016). One of the worldwide studied issues related to exposure and toxicity is long lasting health disorder is cancer and found among those farmers who are directly exposed to pesticides. The kind and toxicity level of cancer varies depend on nature of pesticides (Weichenthal et al., 2010). Many evidence found that high‐exposure is relate to depression in the farmers that are mostly assign to pesticide practices. (Beseler et al., 2008; Pathak et al., 2013) Prolonged periods of field work exposure has been examined with decline level of performance (Eddleston et al., 2002).
Objectives
- To investigate the clinical abnormalities in exposed workers
- To investigate the hematological abnormalities in exposed workers
- To investigate the some serum biochemical changes induced by pesticides in exposed workers