HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT ON PARAQUAT EXPOSURE OF KNAPSACK SPRAYERS

Abstract

          The aims of this cross-sectional analytic study were to investigate adverse symptoms, to assess the health risk, and factors related to health risk on paraquat (PQ) exposure of knapsack sprayers. Data were collect by an interview among 30 willing sprayers in Nam Phong district, Khon Kaen province. Risk matrix considered the probability of PQ exposure (frequency of exposure) and severity level of adverse symptoms related to PQ toxicity was used for health risk assessment. The results showed that the top five adverse symptoms were throat/upper airway irritation, skin irritation, fatigue-malaise, dizziness, eyes irritation-lacrimation, respectively. Those finding adverse symptoms of sprayers were classified into severity level (60.00%) and non-severity level (40.00%). In term of risk assessment’s matrix, there were 23.33% of sprayers had high health risk on PQ exposure and 76.67 % had low risk. The significant factors related to high health risk were safety behavior while operating, high quantity of PQ volume used per year. Although, sprayers had used respirators (90.00%) in different types for protection, they were still under health risk, and additional risk assessment on inhalation exposure to PQ also found that 66.67% of sprayers had unacceptable risk on PQ exposure. These results are very useful for further investigation of risk assessment on PQ exposure through inhalation by measurements of inhaled PQ under conditions of different protection by respirator uses during field spraying.