Assessment of Pesticide-Related Pollution and Occupational Health of Vegetable Farmers in Benguet Province, Philippines

BACKGROUND. Agriculture accounts for 20% of the national income in the Philippines. In order to boost agricultural activity and prevent crop damage, farmers rely on pesticides for vector control and management. OBJECTIVES. The present study assessed the pesticide exposure and occupational health of agricultural farmers in the Philippines. The study site is one of the largest vegetable-producing provinces in the Philippines. METHODS. This study employed both a survey questionnaire and physical health assessment, including a mental state examination. Pesticide exposure was estimated based on the duration of pesticide use, as well as the amount per spray application. The data results were segregated by gender, as women are also heavily engaged in agriculture in this part of the Philippines. RESULTS. The results showed that pesticide exposure usually occurred during agricultural activities such as spray applications in the field (63.7%), mixing (38.4%), loading (34.1%) and field re-entry (9.7%). The most frequently used pesticides were Tamaron, Selecron, and Dithane. The mean duration of pesticide exposure was 14.23 years for males and 15.4 years for females. The longest used pesticide among males was Sumicidine (16.2 years), and Tamaron for females (18 years). In terms of amount used, the average was 147 ml per spray application for males and 65.5 ml for females. Exposure to pesticides was expressed in number of years and amount used per spray application, and the average exposure of males was 2,024.43 ml/years and 993.55 ml/years for females. Among farmers, 49% complained of being sick due to their work. Of those who became ill, a large percentage (69.8%) did not receive any medical attention. The most prevalent health symptoms were muscle pains (63.3%), muscle weakness (55%), and easy fatigability (52.4%). For the mini-mental state examination, abnormalities were found in 5.4% of males and 13.3% of females. The use of insecticides was associated with weakness, easy fatigability and weight loss. DISCUSSION. The present study demonstrated frequent and significant duration of pesticide use among farmers in Benguet province, Philippines. CONCLUSIONS. Pesticide exposure was considerable among the farmers in the present study. The occupational health conditions reported by the study subjects can be linked to their pesticide use. Although this study assessed risk factors associated with general health symptoms, further investigation is needed to determine specific pesticide exposure-health correlations. PARTICIPANT CONSENT. Obtained ETHICS APPROVAL. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the University of the Philippines, Manila, which is recognized and accredited by the Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (FERCAP).