Risk assessment on glyphosate exposure and adverse health effects of glyphosate spraying farmers

Abstract

The toxic effect of herbicide is one of the major public health problems in agriculture of Thailand. Nam Phong district is the majority agricultural area of Khon Kaen province. The present study aimed to apply matrix of health risk assessment in glyphosate spraying farmers by considering both exposure’s likelihood and the symptoms of severity. There were 243 farmers from sample size calculation by using farmer had pesticide application information of Nampong district in Public Health office’s record. The result revealed that about seventy-six percent had low exposure (2 score’s likelihood of exposure) and the most adverse symptoms was rash (9.47%). Therefore, health risk assessment found that 65.43% of farmers had acceptable risk with level 1. Experience is greater than or equal to ten years, clothes contaminated glyphosate after application, don't take a shower within 1 hour after work, cloudy or rainy weather and don’t gloves wearing were factors related with symptoms statistical significance. Hence, in order to decrease health risk should give knowledge and training course for farmers’ protection behaviors and setting health surveillance program among farmers using glyphosate.