Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador

Hans-Peter Hutter, Michael Poteser, Kathrin Lemmerer, Peter Wallner, Michael Kundi, Hanns Moshammer and Lisbeth Weitensfelder
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Hans-Peter Hutter: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Michael Poteser: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Kathrin Lemmerer: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Peter Wallner: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Michael Kundi: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Hanns Moshammer: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Lisbeth Weitensfelder: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Conventional banana farming is pesticide-intensive and leads to high exposure of farmworkers. Ecuador is the world’s biggest exporter of bananas. In this field study in 5 communities in Ecuador, we recorded potentially pesticide-associated subjective health symptoms in farmworkers and compared pesticide users to workers in organic farming. With one exception, symptom rates were always higher in the pesticide-exposed group. Significance was reached in 8 out of 19 investigated symptoms with the highest odds ratios (and smallest p -values) for local irritation like skin and eye irritation (OR = 3.58, CI 1.10–11.71, and 4.10, CI 1.37–12.31, respectively) as well as systemic symptoms like dizziness (OR = 4.80, CI 1.55–14.87) and fatigue (OR = 4.96, CI 1.65–14.88). Moreover, gastrointestinal symptoms were reported more frequently by pesticide users: nausea (OR = 7.5, CI 1.77–31.77) and diarrhea (OR = 6.43, CI 1.06–30.00). The majority of farmworkers were not adequately protected from pesticide exposure. For example, only 3 of 31 farmworkers that had used pesticides recently reported using gloves and only 6 reported using masks during active spraying. Improved safety measures and a reduction in pesticide use are necessary to protect the health of banana farmworkers.

Keywords: banana farming; occupational health; pesticides; pesticide sprayers; ecological farming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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