Trace elements in the nails of farmers exposed to synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Wong, Wei Ven (2024) Trace elements in the nails of farmers exposed to synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction: The widespread use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture, which helps to reduce the adverse impact of weeds and pests while enhancing crop yields is attributed to the advancement of agricultural production. This is particularly concerning as farmers may be exposed to these chemicals while handling crops or tending to animals, leading to potential health risks. The use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in both environmental and occupational settings for an extended period has been shown to result in deficiency or elevated levels of these elements. Objective: This study aims to compare the levels of trace elements zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and ammonia (NH3) in nail samples among conventional and organic farmers. Methodology: Respondents were first interviewed face-to-face using questionnaires to gather socio-demographic and occupational background information. Nail samples were collected from 109 respondents in six areas of Peninsular Malaysia for trace element analyses using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Health risk was assessed based on the usage of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers containing trace elements (Zn, Mn, Pb, NH3). Result & Discussion: It was observed that the levels of Zn, Mn and NH3 in the nail samples were significantly higher in conventional farmers compared to organic farmers (p<0.05). There were significant associations between the health risks of using synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers containing Zn, Mn and NH3 with the level of these elements among respondents (p<0.05). By using the method Stepwise of Ordinal Least Square Regression Test, age as the individual factor and the type of eye protection as the occupational factor significantly contributed to 15.6% and 11.0 % of the variance in the level of trace element Zinc respectively among the conventional farmers. While 7.9% of the variance in the level of trace element Manganese among the conventional farmers can be significantly explained by individual factors of the year of working (p-value= 0.033). Besides, the occupational factor of the type of spraying machine significantly contributed to 13.5% of the variance in the level of trace element Ammonia among the conventional farmers (p-value= 0.009). 10.9% of the variance in the level of trace element Zinc among the organic farmers can be explained by the occupational factor (type of foot protection) and it was proven that there was a significant linear relationship between these two variables (p-value=0.046). In addition, an individual factor of gender significantly contributed to 12.8% of the variance in the level of trace element Manganese among the organic farmers (p-value=0.013). Lastly, 9.6% of the variance in the level of ammonia among the organic farmers can be explained by the individual factor of taking alcohol habit and it was shown that there was a significant linear relationship between both variables (p-value= 0.044). Conclusion: This study suggests that chronic exposure to synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers results in an increased concentration of trace elements (Zn, Mn, and NH3) in the human body. Keywords: Occupational exposure; Agroecosystem; Pesticides risks; Health implications

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Ms Norafizah Radzuan
Date Deposited:	28 Apr 2025 08:19
Last Modified:	28 Apr 2025 08:19
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2362

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