الفهرس 
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Abstract
The use of pesticide has been expanded in recent years to control ~ts which attack man I s food, crops , livestock and clothes, as well those which transmit infectious diseases. However, their use has too potential hazards to workers who cane in contact with .them in the processes of manufacture, fonnulation, packing,. transport and harvesting treated crops. A rna.j or hazard ti resticide in Egypt exists in the application of agricultural pesticides IDcotton plant, the main economic crop, where the concentrations of the £0501 of the applied canpounds are often sufficient to create an iltalation hazard to those in the imnediate vicinity. Besides, skin iEorption oftenly represents a main hazard to workers handling them. If applied pesticides rnainl y include organophosphates, synthetic pyreth Insecticides applied to cotton plants at present first two classes. Around 100,000 of seasonal ukers and 14,000 of pennanent. employees of Ministry of Agriculture ttuajority of them being youth - are employed for the application of tic ides for three months each year. Although many studies have been conducted to investigate the ifects of human or animal exposure to the different pesticides, none investigating the role of the ecological and 1 factors on these effects. It has been anticipated, for example, It the levels and duration of exposure to pesticides, accidental exp e to pesticides, SlIDking during work, nutritional and socio-economic status of workers and their infecti<:n by parasites would have some impact 0\ rrOOifying toxicity of pesticides on exposed subj ects . The present sttrly was, therefore conducted to investigate the types of health effects irrlueed in workers exposed to agricultural pesticides, especially those awlied on cotton plant, and to define the role of the different environ lB1t.al factors and ”workers’ personal” factors on modifying the effect (s) of F€sticide on man. The study caIlp+ised ma.le employees and workers of the Ministry involved in agricultural pest-control in the Governorates «Behera (n = 193), Menufia (n = 263) and Assiut (n = 200), as well as groups of non-occupationally exposed workers including 27 workers fran ~era, 72 workers fran Menufia and 90 workers fran Assiut. Workers were classified according to their exposure to pesticides to groups I, II and III indicating highest, moderate, light occupational exposure in addition to a fourth non-occupationally exposed group. Each worker was examined Mee, before and during the pesticide application seasonj he was first interviewed for his personal, sOCial, occupational and medical histories With reference to smoking habits, nutritional status, drug intake and fersonal hygiene with emphasis on history of occupational, non-occupational rd accidental exposure to pesticides. This was followed by a thorough clinical examination of the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal m nervous systems and skin, and measurement of pul.m:>nary function irduding FE.V 1 .0 and PVC. Also, urine and stools samples were collected for microscopic examination for parasites. In the mea.Fltime, haernatological ard biochemical investigations were conducted on examined subjects in a rarallel study. The significant effects of workers’ occupational exposure to ~sticides found in the present study include: 1. Health canplaints; U.R.T. irritation, cough or repeated attacks of OOJgh, dyspnea, wheezing, gastrointestinal complaints, and burning sens ation and pain in eyes , especially among workers in group I and during ~ticide application season; these canplaints, as well as tachycardia, higher anong those exposed for” longer” durations I> 10 years) . 2. Neuro-psychological canplaints; pain or s.tiffness in neck, blurring of vision or diplopia, canplete or partial loss of vision, spells of dizziness, muscle weakness, numbness in hands or feet, pain in hands or feet and impotence, especially among workers in group I and in a few IoOrkers in group II and anong those with longer duration of exposure I> 10 years) . 3. Psycholcx;ical changes; apathy, irritability, depression and anxiety, IxJth before and during application season; however, only irritability and anxiety were signif icantl y hlgher in workers exposed for more than 10 years. 4. Clinical si~s in nervous system; no effect was observed on IIDtor system; in sensory system, the decrease in pain sensation and in touch sensation (superficial sensation); and the increase in deep pressure pain and absence of vibration sense (deep sensation) were significant findings esl~cially during pesticide application season and anong those exposed for ’longer” duration (> 1 0 years).. The significant deep reflexes included decrease (or absence in sane instances) of knee, ankle, triceps and blceps reflexes especially in the highest occupational exposure group (group 1) and during pesticide application sea~on. 5. Reprcx:1uction and fertility; the proportion of the occupationally expJsed workers who had no children after two years of marriage (3. 1 ) \/as higher than that arrDng non-occupationally exposed subjects; IrDst of the v.Drkers in the former group were under treatment of oligospermia. 6. Pulmonary function;. a chronic effect as deIrDnstrated by a significant liJNer FIN1.0 and FVC am:mg workers in yroufJ 1 ,than in non-occufJi.lllonully exfOsed subjects of the same mean age, before .pesticide application season. !AIring the application ’season, a significant decrease in FE.V 1 .0 and FVC occured am:>ng all examined workers, whether occupationally or non-occupat ionally exposed to pesticides. 7. Derrratological conditions; contact dermatitis during pesticide awlication season. The highest prevalence of health and neuro-psychological cc:mplaints and of the neurological and other health changes in workers I group I in the three studied governorates’ especially in the Governorate of Behera could be attributed to the foll<?Wing characteristics of workers in group I: (n Workers in group I include foremen, formulators, rrechanics, manual and motor applicators, aerial attendants (flag rren) and warehouse workers, all of them highly exposed to pesticides during handllng, fonnulation and application; the probable higher exposure and worse work practice in Behera than in Menufia and Assiut might have intensified the effect of exposure in the fonner. (2) Accidental exposure to pesticide was significantly highest in workers’ group I (32.1 ), especially in Behera (46.7 ). (3) Srroking during work was significantly highest in workers’ group I (62.8 ). (4) Duration of ~sure to pesticides of workers’ group I was signi ficantly longer, e.g. 71.8 of them were exposed for more than 10 years; also workers in group I and group 11 worked 8 - 12 hours during pesticide application season. (5) Age of workers in group I was significantly higher, e.g. 28.2 of them were aged IIDre than 50 years. (6) Socio-econanic status was significantly lower in group I, e.g. 84.6 of the whole group and 90.0 of group I in Behera had a score of less than 60 out of 100. (7) Nutritional status was signif icantl y laver, e. g . only 71.8 of the whole group I and 60.0 in group I in Behera had a balanced diet. (8) Prevalences of parasitic infections were highest in whole workers I . group I, e.g. Schistosoma mansoni. (8.8 ), Entrobius vermicularis (4.4 ) and Gardia larnblia ( 1 3 . 2 ) and in group I in Behera, e. g . Schistosana haematobium (8.0 ), Schistosoma mansoni (20.0 ) and Ascaris lurnbricoides ( 16 . 0 ). however, the prevalence of many of the above mentioned canplaints and changes were higher in the other occupationally exposed workers groups (groups II and IlI) than among the non-occupationally exposed workers. ’!his was attributed to the occupational exposure to pesticides, as well as to other factors substantiating exposure such as the significantily higher use of pesticides at hone with a relative lack of experience in work per formance. It has been concluded that the hazard of pesticide on agricultural It1rkers may be controlled by carrying on: (a) preplacernent medical exam iMtion for proper selection of worker, including investigation of central system, lungs, skin and eyes as well as liver, ~I ~ricrlical medical examination for early detection of health impair I!!1ts, (c) proper training of workers for safe use and handling of pesticides, Idl provision and proper use of personal protective equipnents, (e) provision of erergency first aid services and (f) proper labelling of pesticides in Arabic language, labelling should include description of contents, toxicity Irl hazard, storage and handling precautions and first aid for inhalation, illjestion and contact wi th skin and eyes. Besides, further epidemiological sttrlies may be conducted to investigate man’s absorption of pesticide and &vice battery of laboratory and neurological tests (e.g. electranyography Irl nerve conduction velocity tests) to be used for early detecticn of on workers health.