Exposure assessment of traditional and IPM farmers on using pesticides : a case study at tamvbon bang rieng, amphoe khuan nieng,changwat songkhla

Abstract

This researcher has developed a questionnaire in guestionnaire in order to be an assessment tool to evaluate the quantitative exposure to the pesticide and to gauge the concentration of organophosphate pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion while the farmers of Tambon Bang Rieng were spraying the pesticide. The results gained will be applied the exposure assessment and to compare the quantity of farmer's pesticide exposure between Traditional and IPM farmers of Bang Rieng. By using interviewed questionnaires of 73 samples, it found that there was a significant difference between the Traditional farmers, who had the average pesticide exposure scores of 58.30 points and the IPM farmers, whose average scores were 53.50 points at the level of .05. Moreover, when the air samples of 33 samples had been collected during the pesticide was spraying, it found that there was a significant difference between the Traditional farmers had expose a higher level of pesticide concentration with the average of 0.1865 mg/m3. Comparing to the IPM farmers who had the average pesticide concentration of 0.037 mg/m3, at the level of .05. Aftet the samples had bee collectedduring the farmers were spraying the pesticide and the results had been analyzed to calculate the exposure concentration. It can be exposed to organophosphate pesticide from breathing into their inhalation system in the amount of 81.0-12,261.4 mg throughout their life time (65 years). Furthermore, the pesticide concentration was also calculated to assess the intake concentration. When compared with the ADI Standard, farmers would inhale the pesticide at the level of 0.0002-0.0279 mg/kg.day or representing 0.9-279.5% as recommended by ADI into their inhalation system. Moreover, Traditional farmers would be exposed to pesticide more than IPM farmers.