Nonoccupational Exposure of Agricultural Area Residents to Pesticides: Pesticide Accumulation and Evaluation of Genotoxicity

Abstract

Although many studies related the toxic effects of pesticides on agricultural workers, little research has been done about agricultural area residents. The purpose of this work was to monitor the presence of pesticides, as well as their genotoxic and cytotoxic potential, in humans with blood samples collected from control and intensive agricultural areas in the Thrace region. Pesticide accumulations were determined by LC-MS/MS. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were analyzed by comet assay, and the effect of pesticide accumulation on oxidative stress, DNA repair, and molecular chaperone response were analyzed by qRT-PCR assays in the human blood samples. The agricultural area residents had a significantly higher concentration of pesticides than those in the control area at all three sampling times, and the total pesticide amounts were 4.3 and 10 times significantly higher in blood sampled in the pesticide use period (August 2015 and 2016, respectively) than in the nonuse period (November 2015). The results showed that the pesticide level in blood during the use period led to oxidative stress, DNA damage (mean comet length and % tail DNA), and unfolded/misfolded protein response. Particularly, in pesticide use season, difference between these parameters was found statistically significant with comparison to control. Our results indicate that individuals residing around a monoculture rice farming area comprise an at-risk group as a result of increased genotoxicity evidenced in human blood. We suggest that biological monitoring efforts should be used to control nonoccupational exposures to pesticides and thus safeguard the health of agricultural area residents.

Multi-biomarker responses to pesticides in an agricultural population from Central Brazil

“…Also, families of farmworkers are often environmentally exposed to multiple pesticides, either by living near crops or by having contact with contaminated clothes and work tools without personal protection ( Damalas and Eleftherohorinos, 2011 ; Parks et al, 2016 ; Doğanlar et al, 2018 ). In general, farmworkers' families are exposed to lower levels but for a longer duration to pesticides.…”

Impact of Pesticide Exposure among Rural and Urban Female Population. An Overview

“…However, pesticides can spread even very far distances from application areas via atmospheric transport, volatilization post-application, and spray drifts. Thus, it is important to determine the effects of long-term exposure to low levels of pesticide on residents surrounding intensive agricultural areas [ 1 , 24 ]. Therefore, when women are exposed over long periods of time to certain pesticides, several types of adverse reproductive outcomes may occur, leading to developmental problems in their offspring.…”

“…Pesticides are a type of intrinsically toxic substances that are widely used in agriculture to protect crops from pests, diseases, and weeds [ 1 ]. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, Rome, Italy), a pesticide is defined as “any substance, or mixture of substances of chemical or biological ingredients intended for repelling, destroying or controlling any pest, or regulating plant growth” [ 2 ].…”

“…Exposure to pesticides can come from many routes, from non-occupational exposure such as domestic applications or through residues in food and drinking water, to occupational settings due to their extended use in agriculture; respiratory (through inhalation), oral and dermal are the main three sources of exposure [ 3 ]. Occupational exposure has been mostly studied in farmworkers and its association with diseases such as cancer, neurological pathologies, and the effects on fertility and pregnancy [ 1 , 3 ]. For non-occupational exposure, these residues in food come from dietary intake, especially in products such as fish, meat, and dairy, as they present high lipid fractions with lipophilic compounds that can accumulate and magnify their concentration [ 4 ].…”

Carbofuran cytotoxicity, DNA damage, oxidative stress, and cell death in human umbilical vein endothelial cells: Evidence of vascular toxicity

“…Consequently, grave concerns have been raised in the public pertaining to human health ailments. Once inside the body, pesticides with the help of bloodstream can reach almost every organ and ultimately disrupt the normal functionality by enhancing the cellular stress (Doğanlar et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2017; Mostafalou & Abdollahi, 2017). Among the group of pesticides, carbamates are the fastest growing and immensely used insecticides in the world (Janowska et al, 2020).…”