Pesticides use in Southeast Asia has increased steadily, driven by the growth of large-scale commercial farming, as well as a desire to maximise food production in rural subsistence economies. Given that use of chemical pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates, has known potential health impacts, there are concerns about the safety of agricultural workers, and a need for a better evidence base to underpin regulation and worker education. This study, undertaken in 9 districts in Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, will interview agricultural workers to investigate how they use pesticides, their knowledge of risks and self-protective practices, and their self-reported illness symptoms. In each district researchers will recruit and interview 120 participants engaged in vegetable farming, who have recently used pesticides, making a total of 1080 subjects divided equally between the three study countries. Workers’ degree of pesticides exposure will be determined from acetyl cholinesterase concentrations in capillary blood samples collected using field test kits, and these data will be analysed together with the interview findings. Country findings will be compared and contrasted, and general patterns noted. Knowledge gained about risky behaviours, self-protective practices and degree of association with serious pesticides exposure will assist policy makers and inform health improvement programmes.

Older adults are relatively physically active compared to other age group. A lack of physical activity (PA) can cause chronic diseases including osteoarthritis of knee (OA knee) and might eventually reduce quality of life (QOL). This present study was aimed to investigate association between levels of PA and OA knee with levels of QOL in community-dwelling older adults. One thousand and sixty-seven community-dwelling older persons were recruited to this descriptive study. PA activity questionnaire was invented. Standardized Oxford knee score and World Health Organization’s Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to measure OA knee and QOL levels. Results showed that levels of PA in older adults were significantly associated with levels of OKS (χ2 = 78.565, P-value < .001) and levels of OA knee in older adults were significantly associated with levels of overall QOL (χ2 = 57.738, P-value < .001). Pearson’s correlation also showed interrelation among PA, OA knee, and QOL. In conclusion, PA, OA knee, and QOL are interrelated. Therefore, close monitoring and design of proper PA activity should be implemented in community-dwelling older adults with OA knee.

The annual arithmetic mean concentrations of benzene and 1, 3-butadiene were gradually decreasing tendency from the year 2008 2011 at every monitoring stations in Bangkok. Dramatically decreasing of these air toxics, measured in the road curbside areas were found in the year 2012 when the Thais government implemented the improvement of fuel quality from Euro 2 to Euro 4 standards. Calculated cancer risk of benzene and 1, 3-butadiene dramatically decreased at every monitoring stations. The results indicated that the population was estimated to receive an excess lifetime cancer risk greater than 1 x 10-5, which is proposed as the permissible maximum value for individual excess lifetime cancer risk by the Japan Environmental Agency (JEA). However, cancer risk from air toxic was found significantly decreased in the year 2012. These finding elucidated the effectiveness of changing of fuel quality to the reduction of airborne air toxic concentration in Bangkok environment.

Introduction: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious long-term complications of patients with type 2 diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage kidney failure. Early detection and risk reduction measures can prevent DN. However, data showing the survival time and factors associated with DN development among Thai patients with type 2 diabetes is currently not available. Aim: This study aims to explore the survival time and examine the risk factors associated with the development of DN among Thai patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted during 1st January, 2002 to 3rd December, 2017 to performed and to explore the survival time and examine the risk factors associated with the development of DN among 1,540 patients with type 2 diabetes who received treatment at the Diabetes Mellitus (DM) clinic in Mahachanachai Hospital, Yasothon Province, Thailand. Data was collected from the Hospital Experience (HOSxP) program and medical records from 2002 to 2017. Kaplan-Meier and Cox’s regressions were used for data analysis. Results: From those 15 years, out of 1,540 cases 306 eligible patients with type 2 DM were selected for survival analysis. The results showed that 274 patients met the criteria for DN (89.50%) and 32 patients (10.50%) did not meet the criteria for DN. The median of DN survival time was five years. Multivariate Cox’s regression analysis confirmed that systolic blood pressure had a statistically significant association with the development of DN among hospitalised type 2 diabetic patients. Conclusion: Duration of Diabetes and Systolic blood pressure are associated with the development of DN. The application of future prevention and control measures are highly recommended to control systolic blood pressure for DN protection.

Of recent concern is the degradation of plastics from macro- to micro- and even nanosized. This study investigates the content of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) particles in raw water sources for the local population and in tap and drinking water as treated water. A total of 189 samples were selected and analysed for the quality and quantity of MNPs. The results found MNPs in all water samples, with an average abundance ranging from 204 ± 54 to 336 ± 87 particles/L in raw water, from 22 ± 7 to 33 ± 12 particles/L in tap water, and from 25 ± 15 to 73 ± 30 particles/L in drinking water. MNPs were divided into three categories according to their shape. Fragments and fibres clearly dominated in all samples. The majority of particles with sizes greater than 125 μm are found in raw water, while those with ranging sizes from 20 nm to 125 μm are mostly found in treated water. The MNPs were domains of fibres and fragments. The majority of the MNPs were composed of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene (PE). This study contributes to filling the knowledge gap in the field of emerging MNPs pollution of raw and treated water, which is of concern due to the potential human exposure to MNPs.