Risk Assessment for Dermal Exposure of Organochlorine Pesticides for Local Fishermen in the Rangsit Agricultural Area, Central Thailand

Agricultural pesticide management in Thailand: status and population health risk

“…Although most OCs were phased out gradually in crop production beginning in the late 1970s, their legacy remains in the environment, wildlife, and humans (Thirakhupt, et al, 2006; Siriwong, et al, 2009a,b). Siriwong, et al (2008) found residual levels of several OCs in ng levels in water, sediment, and aquatic organisms collected in an agricultural region of central Thailand demonstrating their persistence.…”

“…They also postulated that locally caught fish, freshwater prawns and snails, swamp morning glory, and water lilies found in the region may pose an exposure risk to chemicals, such as α-, β-HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, DDD, DDE, and DDT, if consumed. In fact, cancer risk of greater than one in a million was estimated in fishermen throwing and/or placing a fish net in the water in central Thailand because of the presence of and exposure to dieldrin, DDT, β-HCH, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide in the canals (Siriwong, et al, 2009a). This highlights the growing body of literature that has found elevated risk of various cancers related to exposures to OCs (Robson, et al, 2010).…”

Bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides in the liver of birds from Boraphet wetland, Thailand

“…The illegal use of β-endosulphan to control the golden apple snail (Pomacea sp.) in paddy fields has been reported 10 . Predominant accumulation of 4,4 -DDE in carnivorous birds was consistent with other studies which found it to be the most frequent OCP detected in wild bird tissues due to its high persistence and lipophilicity [26][27][28] .…”

“…For OCP quantification, standard solutions were used to calibrate the instrument daily. Calibration curves based on a set of concentration (5,10,20,50, 100, and 200 µg/l) were drawn. Procedural blanks, solvent blanks, and field blanks were analysed using the same procedure as the used for real samples.…”

“…OCPs were used extensively in Thailand until 1983; when many compounds were banned by the Thai government (www.thailand.ipm-info.org/ pesticides/pesticides banned.htm). Despite restrictions and bans on the use of many OCPs, their bioaccumulation and detection in the egg yolk of birds at the Wat Tan-En Non-hunting Area, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya province, central Thailand 9 , and in the aquatic food web at Klong Rangsit, Patum Thani province, central Thailand 10 indicates either continual use or persistence of the compounds in the environment.…”