DNA damage among Punjab farmers exposed to mixtures of pesticides is too high to be ignored.
These findings are part of a study made by Dr Raminderjeet Kaur, a research fellow working under the guidance of Dr Satbir Kaur of the Department of Human Biology at Punjabi University.
The study, “Assessment of genetic damage in workers occupationally exposed to various pesticides in selected districts of Punjab,” examined DNA fragmentation from blood cells.
The researcher collected samples twice after six months between December 2003 and January 2006. The first blood samples were collected from 210 farmers after one day of intense spraying of pesticides. In the second sample, 60 workers were selected from the sub-group who showed DNA damage six months after the first samples were taken during a low or no-spraying period to determine the frequency of spontaneous DNA repair.
The study reveals that the DNA fragmentation was found in 36 per cent of the freshly exposed group in the first sampling and among 25 per cent of the “followed up” cases. The highest DNA damage was found among users of herbicides followed by organophosphates and then chlorinated hydrocarbons.
The study added the confounding factors such as variable duration of exposure, age, smoking, drinking and dietary habits which were expected to modulate the damage, were instead found to have no significant effect on DNA fragmentation.
The researchers observed less than 10 per cent workers never used any protective clothes or equipment and typically handled highly toxic chemicals with bare hands and without masks. There was a complete unawareness of the extreme dangers to which they were exposing themselves. It was even found that pesticide containers were being used as kitchen containers and vessels.
“The situation urgently calls for mass education programme and mandatory provision of protective gear and warnings by pesticide companies as well as reduction in the use of pesticides failing this a epidemic of genetic damage diseases, particularly cancer is likely,” the study added.
The study, “Assessment of genetic damage in workers occupationally exposed to various pesticides in selected districts of Punjab,” examined DNA fragmentation from blood cells.
The researcher collected samples twice after six months between December 2003 and January 2006. The first blood samples were collected from 210 farmers after one day of intense spraying of pesticides. In the second sample, 60 workers were selected from the sub-group who showed DNA damage six months after the first samples were taken during a low or no-spraying period to determine the frequency of spontaneous DNA repair.
The study reveals that the DNA fragmentation was found in 36 per cent of the freshly exposed group in the first sampling and among 25 per cent of the “followed up” cases. The highest DNA damage was found among users of herbicides followed by organophosphates and then chlorinated hydrocarbons.
The study added the confounding factors such as variable duration of exposure, age, smoking, drinking and dietary habits which were expected to modulate the damage, were instead found to have no significant effect on DNA fragmentation.
The researchers observed less than 10 per cent workers never used any protective clothes or equipment and typically handled highly toxic chemicals with bare hands and without masks. There was a complete unawareness of the extreme dangers to which they were exposing themselves. It was even found that pesticide containers were being used as kitchen containers and vessels.
“The situation urgently calls for mass education programme and mandatory provision of protective gear and warnings by pesticide companies as well as reduction in the use of pesticides failing this a epidemic of genetic damage diseases, particularly cancer is likely,” the study added.
