OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RELATED POLICIES IN URBAN PEST CONTROL OPERATOR FROM SOUTHEAST MEXICO

Contenido principal del artículo

Karla Denisse Ruiz-Gamboa
Rúben Marcelo Cámara-Vallejo
Manuel Rene Medina-Moreno
Nelly Eugenia Albertos-Alpuche
Ramón Ignacio Esperón-Hernández
Rita Esther Zapata-Vázquez
Aurora Elizabeth Rojas-García
Irma Martha Medina-Díaz
Gabriel Angel Montero-Lara
José Cupertino Moo-Huchin
Angel Silva-Pérez
Norma Elena Pérez-Herrera

Resumen

Pesticides, which are widely used in tropical areas for controlling disease vectors, require the services of urban pest control operators (fumigators). Pesticide use and handling policies and regulations mostly relate to agricultural uses, not to urban pest control purposes. Our objectives included investigating use patterns, pesticide management practices, knowledge on related policies in urban pesticide applicators of southeastern Mexico, and comparing butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity in this group with individuals non-occupationally exposed to pesticides. We conducted a cross-sectional study where all participants were males. The exposed group was integrated by 27 urban pest control operators and the non-exposed group by 26 non-sprayer subjects. A structured questionnaire was applied to participants and BuChE activity in serum was determined. Urban pest control operators had been working with pesticides for 1-17 years, mostly during summer; 67 % did not use personal protection equipment. Eighteen active ingredients were employed as pesticides; chemical groups included pyrethroids (PYR), organophosphates (OP), coumarins, phenylpyrazoles, carbamates (CAR), chloronicotinyls, and amides. Policy knowledge and application were reported in only 30 % of the fumigators. BuChE activity (U/L) was similar between groups: 9837.95 ± 1844.46 U/L in urban pest control vs. 10 414.81 ± 1558.42 U/L for the non-sprayer group. We suggest the inclusion of additional biomarkers in the evaluation of occupational exposure to pesticides, because currently only OPs and CARs are considered, while fumigators are exposed to many other pesticides. Urban pesticide applicators lacked knowledge regarding pesticide management and application policies, hence the need for educational courses for workers and updating regulations.

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Biografía del autor/a

Karla Denisse Ruiz-Gamboa, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Unidad Interistitucional de Investigación Clínica y Epidemiológica de la Facultad de Medicina de la Univeridad Autónoma de Yucatán

Rúben Marcelo Cámara-Vallejo, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor titular.

Manuel Rene Medina-Moreno, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor titular.

Nelly Eugenia Albertos-Alpuche, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor investigador.

Ramón Ignacio Esperón-Hernández, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor titular.

Rita Esther Zapata-Vázquez, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor titular.

Aurora Elizabeth Rojas-García, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit. Profesor investigador.

Laboratorio de contaminación y toxicología ambiental.

Irma Martha Medina-Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit.

Laboratorio de contaminación y toxicología ambiental.

 

Profesor investigador.

Gabriel Angel Montero-Lara, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Profesor.

Laboratorio de Analisis Clínicos, Facultad de Química.

José Cupertino Moo-Huchin, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Profesor.

Laboratorio de Analisis Clínicos, Facultad de Química.

Angel Silva-Pérez, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Profesor.

Laboratorio de Analisis Clínicos, Facultad de Química.

Norma Elena Pérez-Herrera, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

Facultad de Medicina.

Cuerpo Académico de Salud Pública.

Profesor investigador.

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