Hematological and biochemical alterations in sprayers occupationally exposed to mixture of pesticides at a mango plantation in Lucknow, India

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the hematological and cholinesterase (ChE) activity levels of pesticide sprayers employed in mango plantations at Lucknow. Fifty-two sprayers from mango plantations who regularly spray mixtures of pesticides including organochlorines (OC), organophosphates (OP), and carbamates were included as exposed group. Twenty residents living close to mango plantations, but not involved in pesticide spraying were taken as controls. Pesticide residues for OC were analyzed in blood by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. There was a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in pesticide sprayers (n = 52) relative to the control group (n = 20). A significant difference in the frequency distribution of hematological variations in red blood cell, white blood cell, monocytes, neutrophils, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and platelet count was observed. Residues of OC pesticides including α-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and total HCH were found to be significantly higher in the blood of sprayers compared to controls. Hematological variations were quantitatively more frequent among the sprayers with 5 years of pesticide exposure compared to the controls and to subjects with less than 5 years of exposure group. Hematological abnormalities in sprayers were correlated with pesticide exposure as evidenced by lower ChE activity as well as the presence of OC pesticides in blood. The poorly controlled use of pesticides in the plantation appeared to have produced sub-clinical intoxication in the sprayers and indicated the need for training and implementation of proper, safer hygiene practices.

Keywords:

• haematology
• cholinesterase
• pesticide sprayer

Acknowledgments

This study was a part of the project no. CST/SERPD/D-860 supported by the Uttar Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (UPCST), India. MKP and MF, Research Fellows thank the UPCST for the fellowship. The authors thank the technical assistance of Mr R.S. Bharti, Epidemiology Division, IITR for blood collection and Dr Rakesh Kumar and Mr Pramod Kumar, Analytical Chemistry Division for assisting in the analysis of pesticides.