Health hazards and adoption of personal protective equipment during cotton harvesting in Pakistan

Bakhsh, Khuda; Ahmad, Nameem; Tabasum, Shanza; Hassan, Sarfraz; Hassan, Ishtiaq

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.043

Cited by 36 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Neither the likelihood of experiencing pesticide-related symptoms that require medical treatment nor the medical treatment costs differ significantly between self-reported Bt adopters and non-adopters. Mean treatment cost incurred by sample farmers during the last cotton growing season was in a magnitude of Rs 290 per cotton season (1 Pakistani rupee (Rs) was 0.00995 US$ in 2014), which is in line with previous studies [7, 42]. The composition of the average cost of illness is given in Fig 1.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 84%

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Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan

2019

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Despite substantial research on the economic effects of transgenic insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton, there is still limited work on this technology’s impacts on human health. Due to the inbuilt insect resistance, Bt cotton requires fewer pesticide sprays than conventional cotton, which is not only advantageous from economic and environmental perspectives, but may also result in health benefits for farmers. Using socioeconomic and biophysical data from Pakistan, we provide the first evidence of a direct association between Bt gene expression in the plant and health benefits. A key feature of this study is that Bt cotton cultivation in Pakistan occurs in a poorly regulated market: farmers are often mistaken in their beliefs about whether they have planted Bt cotton or conventional cotton, which may affect their pesticide-use strategies and thus their pesticide exposure. We employ a cost-of-illness approach and variations in the measurement of Bt adoption to estimate the relationship between Bt cotton and farmers’ health. Bt adoption based on farmers’ beliefs does not reduce the pesticide-induced cost of illness. However, adoption based on measuring Bt gene expression is associated with significant health cost savings. Extrapolating the estimates for true Bt seeds to Pakistan’s entire Bt cotton area results in annual health cost savings of around US$ 7 million. These findings have important implications for the regulation of seed markets in Pakistan and beyond: improved regulations that ensure claimed crop traits are really expressed can increase the benefits for farmers and society at large.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 84%

“…The large health costs associated with chemical pesticide use are in line with previous studies for the cotton sector of Pakistan and elsewhere [7, 18, 20, 42]. Likewise, the finding that Bt cotton adoption can reduce these health costs significantly is in line with earlier research in China and India [23–24].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan

2019

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“…In a study in Ghana, Okoffo et al [ 41 ] found that only 20% of the farmers ignored the need to wear PPE while spraying agrochemicals. The study by Bakhsh et al [ 58 ] also showed low compliance with PPE usage among cotton farmers in Pakistan. In another study among vegetable farmers in Nigeria, Ugwu et al [ 59 ] found that in the course of spraying agrochemicals, 95.3% of the farmers claimed to be using rubber gloves, 83.3% used nose guards, 83.3% used protective clothes, 62.7% worn caps and 60.0% put on face masks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cocoa Farmers’ Compliance with Safety Precautions in Spraying Agrochemicals and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Cameroon

Oyekale

2018

IJERPH

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The inability of farmers to comply with essential precautions in the course of spraying agrochemicals remains a policy dilemma, especially in developing countries. The objectives of this paper were to assess compliance of cocoa farmers with agrochemical safety measures, analyse the factors explaining involvement of cocoa farmers in the practice of reusing agrochemical containers and wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE). Data were collected with structured questionnaires from 667 cocoa farmers from the Centre and South West regions in Cameroon. Data analyses were carried out with Probit regression and Negative Binomial regression models. The results showed that average cocoa farm sizes were 3.55 ha and 2.82 ha in South West and Centre regions, respectively, and 89.80% and 42.64% complied with manufacturers’ instructions in the use of insecticides. Eating or drinking while spraying insecticides and fungicides was reported by 4.20% and 5.10% of all farmers in the two regions, respectively. However, 37.78% and 57.57% of all farmers wore hand gloves and safety boots while spraying insecticides in the South West and Centre regions of Cameroon, respectively. In addition, 7.80% of all the farmers would wash agrochemical containers and use them at home, while 42.43% would wash and use them on their farms. Probit regression results showed that probability of reusing agrochemical containers was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by region of residence of cocoa farmers, gender, possession of formal education and farming as primary occupation. The Negative Binomial regression results showed that the log of number PPE worn was significantly influenced (p < 0.10) by region, marital status, attainment of formal education, good health, awareness of manufacturers’ instructions, land area and contact index. It was among others concluded that efforts to train farmers on the need to be familiar with manufacturers’ instructions and use PPE would enhance their safety in the course of spraying agrochemicals.

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“…China, Brazil, South Africa) but is also an important health concern in Europe and the USA [81]. Manual workers in low-or middle-income countries often forego the use of control measures such as personal protective equipment, and this could be a contributor to the differences observed between countries [84][85][86]. Silicosis was first reported in South African gold miners in the early 1900s, and South Africa now has one of the highest rates of silicosis worldwide [87].…”

Section: Silicosismentioning

confidence: 99%

The epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases at risk of a progressive-fibrosing phenotype

et al. 2018

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@ERSpublications ILDs with a progressive-fibrosing phenotype appear to be more common in older adults and are associated with a complex network of environmental and genetic factors. Further epidemiological studies are warranted to help identify these patients. http://ow.ly/SY6m30mWytM Cite this article as: Olson AL, Gifford AH, Inase N, et al. The epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases at risk of a progressive-fibrosing phenotype. Eur Respir Rev 2018; 27: 180077 [https://doi.ABSTRACT The availability of epidemiological data relating to interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) has increased over recent years, but information on the prevalence and incidence of ILDs of different aetiologies remains limited. Despite global distribution, the proportion of patients who develop a progressive phenotype across different ILDs is not well known. Disease behaviour is well documented in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis but idiosyncratic in other ILDs that may present a progressive fibrosing phenotype. Possible reasons may include the heterogeneous nature of the aetiology, the complexity of diagnosis (and subsequent documentation of cases) and the methods employed to retrospectively analyse patient databases. This review presents a broad overview of the epidemiological data available for ILDs that may present a progressive-fibrosing phenotype, collectively and stratified according to clinical classification. We also note where further data are needed in comparison to the well-studied IPF indication.

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Health hazards and adoption of personal protective equipment during cotton harvesting in Pakistan

Cited by 36 publications

References 23 publications

Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan

Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan

Cocoa Farmers’ Compliance with Safety Precautions in Spraying Agrochemicals and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Cameroon

The epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases at risk of a progressive-fibrosing phenotype

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