Elevated blood pressure in Nigerian farm workers occupationally exposed to organophosphate pesticides

Abstract

Background: Previous studies showed that persistent exposure to organic pollutants (POPs) increases the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension. However, very little is known about chronic exposure to non-POPs such as organophosphate (OP) pesticides and the risk of developing hypertension in this environment. This study therefore, measured clinical and anthropometric indices as well as scrum activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in farm workers exposed to organophosphate pesticides. Materials and methods: Sixty farm workers (30 pesticide applicators and 30 farmers) and 30 apparently healthy individuals who are not occupationally exposed to OP (controls) were enrolled into this study. A short structured questionnaire was used to obtain anthropometric indices. Body weight, height and blood pressure (BP) were measured using standard methods while scrum activity of AChE was assayed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Data were analyzed using the Student's t-test and Pearson correlation as appropriate. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: Scrum AChE activity was significantly decreased while BiMI and SBP were significantly elevated in farmers compared to control. Similarly, there was significant elevation in BMI, SBP and DBP, and significant reduction in AChE activity in applicators compared to controls. However, only AChE activity was significantly lower in applicators compared with farmers. Conclusion: The present study shows that chronic exposure to OP pesticides may be associated with increased risk of developing hypertension. Hence, farm workers should be encouraged to use personal protective equipment to reduce exposure to OP and may benefit from periodic assessment of their blood pressure.