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. 2021 Dec 4;9(12):335.
doi: 10.3390/toxics9120335.

Urinary Organophosphate Metabolites and Metabolic Biomarkers of Conventional and Organic Farmers in Thailand

Pornpimol Kongtip  1   2 , Noppanun Nankongnab  1   2 , Nichcha Kallayanatham  1 , Jutamanee Chungcharoen  1 , Chanapa Bumrungchai  1 , Sumate Pengpumkiat  1 , Susan Woskie  3
Affiliations

Urinary Organophosphate Metabolites and Metabolic Biomarkers of Conventional and Organic Farmers in Thailand

Pornpimol Kongtip et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are used by most farmers to remove insects and to increase productivity; however, questions remain on the long-term health impacts of their use. This study assessed the relationship between OP biomarker levels and metabolic biomarker parameters. Conventional farmers (n = 213) and organic farmers (n = 225) were recruited, interviewed, and had physical health examinations. Serum glucose and lipid profiles, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were measured. The average age, gender, education, and self-reported agricultural work time, work in second jobs, smoking status, alcohol consumption, insecticide use at home, home location near farmlands and years of pesticide use were significantly different between the conventional and organic farmers. The urinary OP metabolite levels were also significantly different between the two groups. With an increase in urinary diethyl phosphate, dimethyl phosphate and dialkyl phosphate metabolites, the total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, were significantly increased for all farmers after controlling for age, gender, alcohol consumption, years of pesticide use, and home location near farmlands. The results are consistent with our previous studies which suggests that pesticide usage, especially organophosphates, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke among Thai farmers.

Keywords: conventional farmers; metabolic biomarkers; organic farmers; organophosphate metabolites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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