Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of Male Workers in a Pesticide Production Factory in Guilan Province, Iran
Authors:   Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Inflammatory Lung Diseases Research Center, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Attarchi Mir Saeed , Nejatifar Fatemeh ,   Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Razi Hospital Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Mohammadi Kojidi Hamid ,   Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Inflammatory Lung Diseases Research Center, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Atrkar Roushan Zahra ,   Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Faraji Niloofar ,   Razi Clinical Research Development Unit, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Joshan Maryam ,   Razi Clinical Research Development Unit, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran., Amini Roholah ,   Department of Occupational Health, Rasht Health Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Published: May 2023

Background and Aim The high use of pesticides has increased the concern about its possible harm to individual and environment health. Chronic exposure to pesticides has serious effects on different body organs even before the onset of clinical symptoms. In this study, we aim to evaluate clinical and biochemical characteristics of male workers in a pesticide production factory in Guilan province, Iran. Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was conducted on 99 male workers exposed to pesticide and 107 people without exposure who were employed in a pesticide production factory in Guilan and selected using a convenience sampling method in 2020. Their demographical data as well as clinical characteristics such as respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, etc.), neurological symptoms (fatigue, tremors, cramps, muscle weakness, etc.), psychological symptoms (sleep disorders, anxiety, etc.) and skin symptoms (redness, itching, etc.) were collected from the occupational health records of the workers. Finally, the biochemical parameters were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 16. Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics committee of Guilan University of Medical Science, Rasht, Iran (Code: IR.GUMS.REC.1399.632). Informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study. Results The frequency of symptoms such as headache, itchy skin, cough, and sleep disorders was higher in the exposed group (P<0.05). Based on the biochemical findings, blood urea level, creatinine level, alkaline phosphatase, and fasting blood sugar level were significantly higher in the exposed group (P<0.05). Thrombocytosis was observed in 9.09% of exposed workers, which was higher in those with more than 11 years of work experience. Conclusion Chronic exposure to pesticide can cause thrombosis, changes in biochemical parameters, and clinical symptoms. It is recommended that biological monitoring should be conducted in exposed workers at a shorter interval.