Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Acute health effects associated with nonoccupational pesticide exposure in rural El Salvador.

Authors: Azaroff, L S; Neas, L M

Published In Environ Res, (1999 Feb)

Abstract: Little is known about the health effects of nonoccupational pesticide exposure in agricultural communities of poor countries. Therefore, this study investigated acute symptoms associated with nonoccupational exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OPs) in rural El Salvador, a region known for intensive pesticide use. In the five communities studied, 2-week prevalences of several acute symptoms were associated with living with a farmer who had recently applied methyl parathion. These included cramps in limbs (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2-3.7), chest pressure (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.0), change in defecation (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.1), feeling dazed (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.4), and eyes tearing (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1. 4-4.5). Associations were found regardless of whether the individuals reporting the symptoms had themselves performed field labor. These results suggest that living in areas where pesticides are used on crops may represent an environmental health concern, especially for children.

PubMed ID: 10092408 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: No MeSH terms associated with this publication

Back
to Top