The study was carried out on fourty four (44) workers randomly selected frm the
section of insecticides in the ministry of agriculture in Sharkia Governorate, and twenty
one (21) workers were selected randomly from the administrative and security sections
who have never been exposed to organophosphate pesticides (opp) as a control
group of comparable age and socioeconomic standard. The aim of the study is assessment
of opp on plasma cholinesterase (Ch. E) activity and pulmonary ventilatory
functions.
Subjects of both groups were interviewed and examined using questionnaire, clinical
examination and determination of cholinesterase enzyme activity in the plasma
was measured for every worker of the exposed group before and after 6 months of exposure
to opp (the first measure was considered the base line) also, the test was similarly
repeated for the workers of the control group 6 months apart. Kidney & liver functions were investigated for every subject of both groups and
the pulmonary ventilatory functions were measured also for every subject in both
groups. (The pumenary ventilatory functions were done before and after 6 hours work
shift with exposure to opp either by handling or spraying).
It was found that after 6 months of exposure to opp, (9) workers (20.45%) had 25-
30% lowering of the base line plasma Ch. E activity which was measured after one
month vacation away of job. There was a statistiCally significant difference between
the mean values of plasma Ch. E activity before and after 6 months of exposure
3.09±3.12 & 9.05+3.14 uniti respectively) among the exposed group workers. The
control group workers (21) workers who have never been exposed to (opp) had higher
values of Ch.E activity than those of the exposed group workers. Liver and kidney
fuctions were assessed to exclude liver & kidney deseases as contributing factors in
lowering Ch. E activity. It was found that (33.3%) of exposed workers with lowered
Ch.E activity complained of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in comparison with
(22.9%) of exposed workers with normal Ch.E activity, also (44.4%) and (25.7%) of
exposed workers with lowered and normal Ch.E activity show signs of neuropathy,
there is no statistically significant difference, this suggests that there is no relationship
between the degree of lowering of Ch.E activity and development of opp-induced
peripheral neuropathy.
Exposure to opp had an adverse acute effect on the pulmonary ventilatory functions
proved by the statistically significant lowering in post-shift measurements of
pulmonary ventilatory function among the exposed group workers.
The study recommended the importance of biological monitoring of plama Ch.E
activity and measuring the pulmonary ventilatory functions as important tools in
detecting the hazardous exposure to opp before . developing toxicity. |
