Neurobehavioural symptoms and acute pesticide poisoning: a cross-sectional study among male pesticide applicators selected from three commercial farming systems in Ethiopia

Objective

To estimate prevalence of acute pesticide poisoning (APP) and its association with neurobehavioural symptoms in Ethiopian pesticide applicators.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional survey among 256 pesticide applicators from small-scale irrigated farms, a large-scale open farm and large-scale greenhouses. APP was ascertained using a modified WHO case definition, and neurobehavioural symptoms were collected with a standardised questionnaire (Q16). Exposure to pesticides was estimated using detailed exposure algorithms specifically developed for Ethiopian farms. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate risk of APP and its association with neurobehavioural symptoms.

Results

Overall APP prevalence was 16%. Working as an applicator in greenhouses was strongly associated with APP (OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.38 to 6.54). Estimated annual pesticide exposure was also associated with APP (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.20). Longer duration of employment appeared to be negatively associated with APP. Having had an APP was strongly associated with reporting more neurobehavioural symptoms (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.58) independent of cumulative pesticide exposure. Cumulative exposure to pesticides appeared to be associated with neurobehavioural symptoms among applicators without and with APP.

Conclusions

We showed a substantial prevalence of APP that differed between farming systems and was strongly associated with neurobehavioural symptoms. Intensity of exposure was also clearly associated with these symptoms. Reduction and control of occupational exposure to pesticides is urgently needed in Ethiopia.

http://ift.tt/2GzN9z4

Occupational health and valid work exposure tools are keys to improving the health of ageing workers

Many countries have increased the legal retirement age due to economic constraints and ageing populations.1 One important obstacle to raising retirement age is premature ageing caused by difficult and arduous working conditions.2 3 Nevertheless, even for some countries with retirement ages that may vary according to working conditions, it is particularly challenging to define an optimal retirement age that consistently and fairly determines which workers may be granted earlier retirement due to difficult working conditions.

France started by defining exposures in terms of their consequences, that is, the presence of a specific recognised occupational disease or injury.4 In 2014, the government introduced a new rule requiring employers to evaluate the extent of workers’ exposures to multiple working conditions. The workers could retire earlier depending on the number of years of such exposure. The decision was based on the number of years of exposure...

http://ift.tt/2BLpJ60

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 248: Women’s Ideas about the Health Effects of Household Air Pollution, Developed through Focus Group Discussions and Artwork in Southern Nepal

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 248: Women’s Ideas about the Health Effects of Household Air Pollution, Developed through Focus Group Discussions and Artwork in Southern Nepal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020248

Authors: Delan Devakumar Zeshan Qureshi Jenevieve Mannell Manju Baruwal Neha Sharma Eva Rehfuess Naomi M. Saville Dharma S. Manandhar David Osrin

Household air pollution is a major cause of ill health, but few solutions have been effective to date. While many quantitative studies have been conducted, few have explored the lived experiences and perceptions of women who do the cooking, and as a result are those most exposed to household air pollution. In this study, we worked with groups of home cooks, and sought to use art as a means of engaging them in discussions of how household air pollution from cooking affects their lives. In the Terai district of southern Nepal, we held four focus groups that included 26 local women from urban and peri-urban areas, as well as six local artists. The women then met approximately weekly over four months, and produced images related to air pollution. Transcripts from the focus groups were reviewed independently by two authors, who initially categorised data deductively to pre-defined nodes, and subsequently inductively reviewed emergent themes. Women identified a number of health effects from air pollution. The main physical effects related to the eye and the respiratory system, and women and young children were seen as most vulnerable. The psychosocial effects of air pollution included reduced food intake by women and lethargy. Suggested solutions included modifications to the cooking process, changing the location of stoves, and increasing ventilation. The main barriers were financial. The lived experiences of women in southern Nepal around the problem of air pollution offers a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of the perceptions and challenges of addressing air pollution, which can be used to inform future interventions.

http://ift.tt/2GE1lHo

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 247: Assessing Heat Stress and Health among Construction Workers in a Changing Climate: A Review

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 247: Assessing Heat Stress and Health among Construction Workers in a Changing Climate: A Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020247

Authors: Payel Acharya Bethany Boggess Kai Zhang

Construction workers are at an elevated risk of heat stress, due to the strenuous nature of the work, high temperature work condition, and a changing climate. An increasing number of workers are at risk, as the industry’s growth has been fueled by high demand and vast numbers of immigrant workers entering into the U.S., the Middle East and Asia to meet the demand. The risk of heat-related illnesses is increased by the fact that little to no regulations are present and/or enforced to protect these workers. This review recognizes the issues by summarizing epidemiological studies both in the U.S. and internationally. These studies have assessed the severity with which construction workers are affected by heat stress, risk factors and co-morbidities associated with heat-related illnesses in the construction industry, vulnerable populations, and efforts in implementing preventive measures.

http://ift.tt/2s2Qfsm

Occupational asthma risk from exposures to toluene diisocyanate: A review and risk assessment

Background

Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) is a known respiratory sensitizer linked to occupational asthma (OA). To better manage worker risks, an appropriate characterization of the TDI-OA dose-risk relationship is needed.

Methods

The literature was reviewed for data suitable for dose-response modeling. Previous study data were fit to models to derive prospective occupational exposure limits (OELs), using benchmark dose (BMD) and low-dose extrapolation approaches.

Results

Data on eight TDI-exposed populations were suitable for analysis. There were 118 OA cases in a population contributing 13 590 person-years. The BMD-based OEL was 0.4 ppb. The OEL based on low-dose extrapolation to working lifetime extra risk of 1/1000 was 0.3 ppb.

Conclusions

This study synthesized epidemiologic data to characterize the TDI-OA dose-risk relationship. This approach yielded prospective OEL estimates below recent recommendations by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, but given significant study limitations, this should be interpreted with caution. Confirmatory research is needed.

http://ift.tt/2DTWrs1

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 246: Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 246: Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020246

Authors: Jing Zhao Caihong Ma Xiangui Zhao Xiaoyu Wang

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index (EPI), the ecological occupancy index (EOI), the ecological economic coordination index (EECI), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index (CEI), the water resources stress index (WSI), and the sustainable development index (SDI). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions.

http://ift.tt/2rYzEWl

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 245: Empowering Retailers to Refuse to Sell Tobacco Products to Minors

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 245: Empowering Retailers to Refuse to Sell Tobacco Products to Minors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020245

Authors: Min-Li Chen Li-Na Chou Ya-Cheng Zheng

Tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are major environmental risk factors that negatively influence health. It is recommended that tobacco product manufacturers and retailers receive empowerment counseling programs to achieve adolescent health targets. The present study conducted an empowerment counseling session to counsel tobacco product retailers in refusing to sell tobacco products to minors. The three stages of this study were conducted from March 2015 to February 2017. The results revealed that 74% of retailers were selling tobacco products to minors at baseline, 40% at stage two and 15% at stage three. These represent significant reductions in selling tobacco products to minors (all stage differences p < 0.001). However, experimental design studies could be used to examine the empowerment counseling program for preventing tobacco sales to minors in the future. Moreover, health care providers should collaborate with tobacco product retailers to design unique empowerment counseling sessions for specific regions to improve retailers’ capabilities for self-management in terms of tobacco hazard prevention.

http://ift.tt/2FyCbIM