Pesticide Exposure, Hazard Perception and Preventive Performance in Jasmines and Gardenias

Agriculture

Lertchai Charerntanyarak and Harnphicharnchai Kallaya

Faculty
of Publicwas
Health,
Khon
Kaen University,
Khon
Kaen
40002toThailand,
E-mail: Methomyl
lertchai@kku.ac.th
BACKGROUND: Pesticide
misusage
not only
dangerous
to the users
but also
harmful
the environment.
and Carbendazim, the
cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides, are commonly used in jasmines and gardenias agriculture area, particularly in Sila Sub-district, Khon Kaen Province,
northeast of Thailand. Methomyl1 is via inhalation with a reported 4-hour inhalation LC50 in male rates of 0.3 mg/L. Carbendazim2 is strongly bound to soil
and does not dissolve in water in flood rice fields to any significant extent. It is highly persistent. Carbendazim is low acute toxic to mammals. However, it
is readily absorbed into the body by inhaling the dust.
OBJECTIVES: This cross sectional study aimed to examine the hazard perception, preventive performance and to determine the exposure of methomyl
and carbendazim of the villagers who grew jasmines, gardenias and the ones who made garlands.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 204 samples for in-depth interview by simples random sampling calculated from 892 people in the area. The
concentration of methomyl and carbendazim at breathing zone air samples of jasmine farmers and people living near the area were collected by
universal pump model 224-PCXR8, air flow rate 0.1-1.0 l/min with filter/solid sorbent tube (OVS-2 tube: 13- mm quartz fiber filter, XAD-2, 270 mg/140
mg). All air samples were digested and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV Detector.

RESULTS, DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: The results showed that most of the villagers realized the hazard of pesticide usage but the performance in
preventing pesticide hazard were not right for examples: some of the famers opened the pesticide bottle with their mouth, did mix and stir the pesticide
solution by their hand, and most of them did not wear gloves, boots, and protection suit when they worked and exposed to the pesticide. The average
concentration of methomyl in breathing zone air of people living near the area (N=24) and jasmine farmers (N=24) were 0.59 0.40 g/m3 (range: nil1.03 g/m3), and 183.02 311.77 g/m3 (range: nil-1,118.60 g/m3), respectively. Carbendazim was not found in any population samples. The results did
not exceed the standard regulatory2; PEL from OSHA, TLV-TWA from ACGIH. However, the jasmine and gardenia farmers and the people living near the
area should be aware of exposing to any pesticides for better protection.
REFERENCES:
1. World Health Organization, (1983). Data sheet on pesticides No. 55: Methomyl. Retrieved August 14, 2007, from
http://www.inchem.org/documents/pds/pds/pest55_e.htm
2. World Health Organization, (2004). The WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard and Guidelines to Classification 2004. Retrieved
June 14, 2008, from
http://www.inchem.org/documents/pds/pdsother/class.pdf

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the people and jasmines, gardenia farmers in Sila sub-district, whose cooperation made
the study possible, as our study participants, and their times. Our special thanks go to the National Research Council of Thailand via the