Pesticides and Human Health Risk Assessment: Case of Farmers of Punjab

Pesticides are unavoidable in agriculture as they enhance crop productivity. Besides various benefits, many of them form a potential hazard to human and nature. The present study investigates the potential genetic hazards associated with occupational exposure to various pesticides in Punjab. Blood samples were taken from 210 workers divided into three groups one day after spraying during intense spraying period and 50 controls. Twenty cases were selected from each group for follow up study during minimum spraying(5-6 months after first sampling).Genetic damage was assessed using alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis. Highly significant increase in genetic damage was observed in exposed group compared to control. Workers of all the three exposed groups showed inter-individual as well as intra-individual variations in comet parameters while control group showed quite homogenous results. The frequency of genetic damage was significantly reduced in the follow up cases. Herbicides were found to show more deleterious effect in comparison to other classes of pesticides. No correlation was observed between smoking, age and duration of exposure and genetic damage.