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Volume 18
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10.3390/ijerph18031126
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Article

Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador

by
Hans-Peter Hutter
1,
Michael Poteser
1,
Kathrin Lemmerer
1,
Peter Wallner
1,
Michael Kundi
1,
Hanns Moshammer
1,2,* and
Lisbeth Weitensfelder
1
1
Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
2
Department of Hygiene, Medical University of Karakalpakstan, Nukus 230100, Uzbekistan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126
Submission received: 1 December 2020 / Revised: 22 January 2021 / Accepted: 24 January 2021 / Published: 27 January 2021
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Conventional banana farming is pesticide-intensive and leads to high exposure of farmworkers. Ecuador is the world’s biggest exporter of bananas. In this field study in 5 communities in Ecuador, we recorded potentially pesticide-associated subjective health symptoms in farmworkers and compared pesticide users to workers in organic farming. With one exception, symptom rates were always higher in the pesticide-exposed group. Significance was reached in 8 out of 19 investigated symptoms with the highest odds ratios (and smallest p-values) for local irritation like skin and eye irritation (OR = 3.58, CI 1.10–11.71, and 4.10, CI 1.37–12.31, respectively) as well as systemic symptoms like dizziness (OR = 4.80, CI 1.55–14.87) and fatigue (OR = 4.96, CI 1.65–14.88). Moreover, gastrointestinal symptoms were reported more frequently by pesticide users: nausea (OR = 7.5, CI 1.77–31.77) and diarrhea (OR = 6.43, CI 1.06–30.00). The majority of farmworkers were not adequately protected from pesticide exposure. For example, only 3 of 31 farmworkers that had used pesticides recently reported using gloves and only 6 reported using masks during active spraying. Improved safety measures and a reduction in pesticide use are necessary to protect the health of banana farmworkers.
Keywords: banana farming; occupational health; pesticides; pesticide sprayers; ecological farming banana farming; occupational health; pesticides; pesticide sprayers; ecological farming

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hutter, H.-P.; Poteser, M.; Lemmerer, K.; Wallner, P.; Kundi, M.; Moshammer, H.; Weitensfelder, L. Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126

AMA Style

Hutter H-P, Poteser M, Lemmerer K, Wallner P, Kundi M, Moshammer H, Weitensfelder L. Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(3):1126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hutter, Hans-Peter, Michael Poteser, Kathrin Lemmerer, Peter Wallner, Michael Kundi, Hanns Moshammer, and Lisbeth Weitensfelder. 2021. "Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 3: 1126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126

APA Style

Hutter, H.-P., Poteser, M., Lemmerer, K., Wallner, P., Kundi, M., Moshammer, H., & Weitensfelder, L. (2021). Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126

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