Workers' exposure to organophosphorus pesticides in the community agricultural domain of Sefa, Sedhiou

Objectives. - Determine the level of exposure to organophosphorus pesticides and the factors associated with the decline in enzyme activity in exposed workers so as to commend measures that prevent chemical risk in agricultural areas. Methods. - This is a prospective longitudinal study carried out among 200 workers of the agricultural domain of Sefa in Senegal from June to December 2015. Instruments used comprised a questionnaire (sociodemographic and professional characteristics) and a determination of the enzymatic activity of acetylcholinesterase prior and after exposure. EPI Info software and Khi(2) independence test were used to analyse data. Results. - The study sampling focused on 200 farmers with a sex ratio of 5.25 (21 men versus 4 women) and the average age was 44 years old. The average frequency of exposure to organophosphorus pesticides was 4 contacts per month and the average duration of exposure was 2.6 hours per month. The mean degree of inhibition of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase after exposure was 14.70% (0 and 72.27% ends). The analytical study revealed a statistically significant correlation between the degree of inhibition, the level of education, the body mass index, the lack of training on pesticides, and workers' poor behaviour during and after the use of organophosphorus pesticides. Conclusion. - The analysis shows 14.70% as an average degree of inhibition. The major causes of this decline in enzymatic acetylcholinesterase activity are related to workers' lack of training and poor behaviour during and after exposure to pesticides. A legislative and institutional framework for the use of pesticides in agriculture becomes an urgent measure. (C) 2020 Societe Francaise de Toxicologie Analytique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. Allrights reserved.