Chronic pesticide mixture exposure including paraquat and respiratory outcomes among Colombian farmers

Sonia Mireya Díaz Criollo, Ruth Marién Palma-Parra, Andrés A. Monroy-García, Alvaro Javier Idrovo, David Combariza, Marcela Varona

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8 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study explored the potential association between chronic exposure to pesticide mixtures including paraquat and respiratory outcomes among Colombian farmers. Sociodemographic and occupational data, respiratory symptoms and spirometric data were collected. Paraquat in spot urine samples were quantified with solid-phase extraction high-performance liquid chromatography. Multiple Poisson regressions with robust variance were used to determine factors associated with respiratory outcomes. Profiles of pesticide mixtures used were identified among 217 farmworkers, but profenofos and methamidophos-based mixtures were more frequent. Chronic paraquat exposure was slightly associated with self-reported asthma (PR: 1.06; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.13). Different pesticide mixtures were associated with flu, thoracic pain, allergic rhinitis, and obstructive pattern in spirometry. Although acute exposure to paraquat is low among Colombian farmers participating in the study, associations between respiratory outcomes and chronic pesticide mixtures exposure including profenofos, methamidophos or glyphosate require further specific studies.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)15-21
Number of pages6
JournalIndustrial Health
Volume58
Issue number1
Early online dateApr 18 2019
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 4 2020

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