Occupational Pesticide Exposures and Respiratory Health

Ming Ye, Jeremy Beach, Jonathan W. Martin and Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan
Additional contact information
Ming Ye: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-276 Edmonton Heath Clinic Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Jeremy Beach: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-276 Edmonton Heath Clinic Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Jonathan W. Martin: Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 10-102C Clinical Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada
Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-276 Edmonton Heath Clinic Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada

IJERPH, 2013, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-30

Abstract: Pesticides have been widely used to control pest and pest-related diseases in agriculture, fishery, forestry and the food industry. In this review, we identify a number of respiratory symptoms and diseases that have been associated with occupational pesticide exposures. Impaired lung function has also been observed among people occupationally exposed to pesticides. There was strong evidence for an association between occupational pesticide exposure and asthma, especially in agricultural occupations. In addition, we found suggestive evidence for a link between occupational pesticide exposure and chronic bronchitis or COPD. There was inconclusive evidence for the association between occupational pesticide exposure and lung cancer. Better control of pesticide uses and enforcement of safety behaviors, such as using personal protection equipment (PPE) in the workplace, are critical for reducing the risk of developing pesticide-related symptoms and diseases. Educational training programs focusing on basic safety precautions and proper uses of personal protection equipment (PPE) are possible interventions that could be used to control the respiratory diseases associated with pesticide exposure in occupational setting.

Keywords: asthma; COPD; lung function; occupational; pesticide exposures; respiratory health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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