Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Pesticide exposure and related health problems among farmworkers’ children: a case-control study in southeast Iran

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pesticides are potentially hazardous chemicals that can cause injury to human health and the environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) exposure in farmworkers’ children aged 6 to 11 years in Jiroft city in southeastern Iran. One hundred twenty farmworkers’ children as case and 53 non-farmworkers’ children aged 6 to 11 years as control were selected and the serum levels of OCPs were measured by using gas chromatography in all participants. In addition, erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and arylesterase activity of paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) were measured to evaluate OPPs effects. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase3 (SOD3), glutathione peroxidase (GPx3) activities, and the levels of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), and protein carbonyl (PC) were measured to investigate OCPs and OPPs effects on oxidative stress (OS). The serum levels of beta-HCH, 4,4 DDE, and 4,4 DDT in the case group were significantly higher than the control group. In addition, in the case group, AChE, PON-1, CAT, SOD3, and GPx3 activities and the levels TAC were significantly lower, while MDA, PC, and NO levels were significantly higher than the control group. OCPs as illegal pesticides are present in southeast Iran and children are exposed to OCPs and OPPs in the studied area. In addition, higher serum levels of pesticides may be a major contributor in OS development, as a cause of many diseases.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

OS:

Oxidative stress

AchE:

Acetylcholinesterase

BMI:

Body mass index

TAC:

Total antioxidant capacity

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

PON-1:

Paraoxonase-1

Alpha-HCH:

Alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane

Beta-HCH:

Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane

Gama-HCH:

Gama-Hexachlorocyclohexane

4,4 DDE:

4,4 Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

2,4 DDE:

2,4 Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

4,4 DDT:

4,4 Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

2,4 DDT:

2,4 Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

OPPs:

Organophosphorus pesticides

OCPs:

Organochlorine pesticides

SOD3:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

NO:

Nitric oxide

iNOS:

Inducible nitric oxide synthase

GPx3:

Glutathione peroxidase3

PC:

Protein carbonyl.

References

  • Abolhassani M, Asadikaram G, Paydar P, Fallah H, Aghaee-Afshar M, Moazed V, Akbari H, Moghaddam SD, Moradi A (2019) Organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides may induce colorectal cancer; a case-control study. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 178:168–177

  • Ahmadi Z, Moradabadi A, Abdollahdokht D, Mehrabani M, Nematollahi MH (2019) Association of environmental exposure with hematological and oxidative stress alteration in gasoline station attendants. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:20411–20417

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen HR, Schmidt IM, Grandjean P, Jensen TK, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Kjærstad MB, Bælum J, Nielsen JB, Skakkebæk NE, Main KM (2008) Impaired reproductive development in sons of women occupationally exposed to pesticides during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect 116:566–572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asadikaram G, Ram M, Izadi A, Sheikh Fathollahi M, Nematollahi MH, Najafipour H, Shahoozehi B, Mirhoseini M, Masoumi M, Shahrokhi N (2019) The study of the serum level of IL-4, TGF-β, IFN-γ, and IL-6 in overweight patients with and without diabetes mellitus and hypertension. J Cell Biochem 120:4147–4157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benzie IF, Strain JJ (1996) The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: the FRAP assay. Anal Biochem 239:70–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bin Z, Yanhong C, Jiaojiao X, Jing Y (2018) Acetylcholinesterase biosensor based on functionalized surface of carbon nanotubes for monocrotophos detection. Anal Biochem 560:12–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bobin-Dubigeon C, Jaffré I, Joalland M-P, Classe J-M, Campone M, Hervé M, Bard J-M (2012) Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) as a marker of short term death in breast cancer recurrence. Clin Biochem 45:1503–1505

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen K-X, Zhou X-H, Sun C-A, Yan P-X (2019) Manifestations of and risk factors for acute myocardial injury after acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. Medicine 98

  • Dhananjayan V, Ravichandran B (2018) Occupational health risk of farmers exposed to pesticides in agricultural activities. Curr Opin Environ Sci Health 4:31–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dries MA, Pronk A, Guxens M, Spaan S, Voortman T, Jaddoe VW, Jusko TA, Longnecker MP, Tiemeier H (2018) Determinants of organophosphate pesticide exposure in pregnant women: a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands. Int J Hyg Environ Health 221(3):489–501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eren SH, Korkmaz I, Guven FMK, Tekin YK, Ozdemir L (2018) Serum paraoxonase, arylesterase, and glutathione-S-transferase activities and oxidative stress levels in patients with mushroom poisoning. Clinics 73

  • Fu D-J, Li P, Song J, Zhang S-Y, Xie H-Z (2019) Mechanisms of synergistic neurotoxicity induced by two high risk pesticide residues–Chlorpyrifos and Carbofuran via oxidative stress. Toxicol in Vitro 54:338–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González-Alzaga B, Lacasaña M, Hernández A, Arrebola J, López-Flores I, Artacho-Cordón F, Bonde JP, Olea N, Aguilar-Garduño C (2018) Serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds and predictors of exposure in children living in agricultural communities from south-eastern Spain. Environ Pollut 237:685–694

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Casanova I, Stein AD, Barraza-Villarreal A, Feregrino RG, DiGirolamo A, Hernandez-Cadena L, Rivera JA, Romieu I, Ramakrishnan U (2018) Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants and child development trajectories through 7 years. Int J Hyg Environ Health 221:616–622

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hadwan MH (2016) New method for assessment of serum catalase activity. Indian J Sci Technol 9:1–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He J, He H, Yan Z, Gao F, Zheng X, Fan J, Wang Y (2019) Comparative analysis of freshwater species sensitivity distributions and ecotoxicity for priority pesticides: implications for water quality criteria. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 176:119–124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández AF, Menéndez P (2016) Linking pesticide exposure with pediatric leukemia: potential underlying mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 17:461

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hundekari I, Suryakar A, Rathi DJ (2013) Acute organo-phosphorus pesticide poisoning in North Karnataka, India: oxidative damage, haemoglobin level and total leukocyte. Afr Health Sci 13:129–136

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyland C, Laribi O (2017) Review of take-home pesticide exposure pathway in children living in agricultural areas. Environ Res 156:559–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ighodaro O, Akinloye O (2018) First line defence antioxidants-superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX): their fundamental role in the entire antioxidant defence grid. Alexandria J Med 54:287–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jabir FA, Shaker AS (2020) Roles of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α (8-iso-PGF2α) as oxidative stress in development and progression of Brest cancer in Iraqi females patients. Al-Qadisiyah J Pure Sci 25:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janero DR (1990) Malondialdehyde and thiobarbituric acid-reactivity as diagnostic indices of lipid peroxidation and peroxidative tissue injury. Free Radic Biol Med 9:515–540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jorjandi MA, Asadikaram G, Abolhassani M, Fallah H, Abdollahdokht D, Salimi F, Faramarz S, Pournamdari M (2020) Pesticide exposure and related health problems among family members of farmworkers in southeast Iran a case-control study. Environ Pollut:115424

  • Kapka-Skrzypczak L, Czajka M, Sawicki K, Matysiak-Kucharek M, Gabelova A, Sramkova M, Bartyzel-Lechforowicz H, Kruszewski M (2019) Assessment of DNA damage in polish children environmentally exposed to pesticides. Mutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen 843:52–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kartin A, Subagio HW, Hadisaputro S, Kartasurya MI, Suhartono S, Budiyono B (2019) Pesticide exposure and stunting among children in agricultural areas. Int J Occup Environ Med 10:17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaur K, Kaur R (2018) Occupational pesticide exposure, impaired DNA repair, and diseases. Indian J Occup Environ Med 22:74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khajezadeh M, Abbaszadeh-Goudarzi K, Pourghadamyari H, Kafilzadeh F (2020) A newly isolated Streptomyces rimosus strain capable of degrading deltamethrin as a pesticide in agricultural soil. J Basic Microbiol 60:435–443

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lawson M, Jomova K, Poprac P, Kuča K, Musílek K, Valko M (2017) Free radicals and antioxidants in human disease, Nutritional Antioxidant Therapies: Treatments and Perspectives. Springer, pp 283–305

  • Lee KM, Park S-Y, Lee K, Oh S-S, Ko SB (2017) Pesticide metabolite and oxidative stress in male farmers exposed to pesticide. Ann Occup Environ Med 29:5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine RL, Garland D, Oliver CN, Amici A, Climent I, Lenz A-G, Ahn B-W, Shaltiel S, Stadtman ER (1990): [49] determination of carbonyl content in oxidatively modified proteins, methods in enzymology. Elsevier, pp 464–478

  • López-Gálvez N, Wagoner R, Quirós-Alcalá L, Ornelas Van Horne Y, Furlong M, Avila E, Beamer P (2019) Systematic literature review of the take-home route of pesticide exposure via biomonitoring and environmental monitoring. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16:2177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MartÃnez-Carballo E (2018) Screening of organic pollutants in pet hair samples and the significance of environmental factors. Science of the total environment

  • Mortazavi N, Asadikaram G, Ebadzadeh MR, Kamalati A, Pakmanesh H, Dadgar R, Moazed V, Paydar P, Fallah H, Abolhassani M (2019) Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides and bladder cancer: a case-control study. J Cell Biochem 120(9):14847–14859

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mulder TA, van den Dries MA, Korevaar TI, Ferguson KK, Peeters RP, Tiemeier H (2019) Organophosphate pesticides exposure in pregnant women and maternal and cord blood thyroid hormone concentrations. Environ Int 132:105124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murussi C, Horn RC, Santi A, Clasen BE, Reis G, Souza D, Bortolotto JW, Manfio CE, Loro VL (2014) Changes in oxidative markers, endogenous antioxidants and activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase in farmers exposed to agricultural pesticides-a pilot study. Ciência Rural 44:1186–1193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naughton SX, Terry AV Jr (2018) Neurotoxicity in acute and repeated organophosphate exposure. Toxicology 408:101–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oguntibeju OO (2019) Type 2 diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress and inflammation: examining the links. Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol 11:45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paglia DE, Valentine WN (1967) Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. J Lab Clin Med 70:158–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paydar P, Asadikaram G, Zeynali Nejad H, Moazed V, Poursayedi B, Nematollahi MH, Akbari H, Abolhassani M, Khosravi Shadmani F (2018) The role of acetylcholinesterase, paraoxonase, and oxidative stress in breast tumors. Int J Cancer Manag 11

  • Rahsepar AA, Mirzaee A, Moodi F, Moohebati M, Tavallaie S, Eshraghi A, Alavi M-S, Khorashadizadeh F, Pourghadamyari H, Paydar R (2012) Prooxidant-antioxidant balance and antioxidized LDL antibody level values and cardiac function in patients with coronary artery disease. Cardiology 122:203–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson JR, Fitsanakis V, Westerink RH, Kanthasamy AG (2019) Neurotoxicity of pesticides. Acta Neuropathol:1–20

  • Roberts JR, Karr CJ (2012) Pesticide exposure in children. Pediatrics 130:e1765–e1788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saeed MF, Shaheen M, Ahmad I, Zakir A, Nadeem M, Chishti AA, Shahid M, Bakhsh K, Damalas CA (2017) Pesticide exposure in the local community of Vehari District in Pakistan: an assessment of knowledge and residues in human blood. Sci Total Environ 587:137–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sagiv SK, Bruno JL, Baker JM, Palzes V, Kogut K, Rauch S, Gunier R, Mora AM, Reiss AL, Eskenazi B (2019) Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides and functional neuroimaging in adolescents living in proximity to pesticide application. Proc Natl Acad Sci 116:18347–18356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saha SK, Lee SB, Won J, Choi HY, Kim K, Yang G-M, Dayem AA, S-g C (2017) Correlation between oxidative stress, nutrition, and cancer initiation. Int J Mol Sci 18:1544

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar SK (2016): Organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs) in sediment cores from Sundarban Wetland, marine organic micropollutants. Springer, pp 11–30

  • Sharma N, Singhvi R (2017) Effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on human health and environment: a review. Int J Agric Environ Biotechnol 10:675–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sies H, Berndt C, Jones DP (2017) Oxidative stress. Annu Rev Biochem 86:715–748

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stanić D, Plećaš-Solarović B, Petrović J, Bogavac-Stanojević N, Sopić M, Kotur-Stevuljević J, Ignjatović S, Pešić V (2016) Hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes from rats chronically treated with corticosterone: the protective effect of oxytocin treatment. Chem Biol Interact 256:134–141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Surajudeen YA, Sheu RK, Ayokulehin KM, Olatunbosun AG (2014) Oxidative stress indices in Nigerian pesticide applicators and farmers occupationally exposed to organophosphate pesticides. Int J Appl Basic Med Res 4:S37

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taiwo AM (2019) A review of environmental and health effects of organochlorine pesticide residues in Africa. Chemosphere 220:1126–1140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vakonaki E, Androutsopoulos VP, Liesivuori J, Tsatsakis AM, Spandidos DA (2013) Pesticides and oncogenic modulation. Toxicology 307:42–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Maele-Fabry G, Gamet-Payrastre L, Lison D (2019) Household exposure to pesticides and risk of leukemia in children and adolescents: updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Hyg Environ Health 222:49–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Viswan A, Pushpalatha E (2019) Biochemical and molecular analysis of acetylcholine esterase to rule out Organophosphorus detoxification level in field populations of Culex Quiquefasciatus say. J Commun Dis (E-ISSN: 2581-351X & P-ISSN: 0019-5138) 51:22–27

  • Wan S-S, Zeng J-Y, Cheng H, Zhang X-Z (2018) ROS-induced NO generation for gas therapy and sensitizing photodynamic therapy of tumor. Biomaterials 185:51–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yousefi F, Asadikaram G, Karamouzian S, Abolhassani M, Moazed V, Nematollahi MH (2021) MGMT methylation alterations in brain cancer following organochlorine pesticides exposure. Environ Health Eng Manag J

  • Youssouf M, Kalia A, Nabi Z, Malik ZA (2019) Health effects of pesticides on pregnant women and children, handbook of research on the adverse effects of pesticide pollution in aquatic ecosystems. IGI Global, pp 105–122

  • Yucel AA, Gulen S, Dincer S, Yucel AE, Yetkin GI (2012) Comparison of two different applications of the Griess method for nitric oxide measurement. J Exp Integr Med 2:167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zińczuk J, Maciejczyk M, Zaręba K, Romaniuk W, Markowski A, Kędra B, Zalewska A, Pryczynicz A, Matowicka-Karna J, Guzińska-Ustymowicz K (2019) Antioxidant barrier, redox status, and oxidative damage to biomolecules in patients with colorectal cancer. Can malondialdehyde and catalase be markers of colorectal Cancer advancement? Biomolecules 9:637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zumbado M, Goethals M, Álvarez-León EE, Luzardo OP, Cabrera F, Serra-Majem L, Domínguez-Boada L (2005) Inadvertent exposure to organochlorine pesticides DDT and derivatives in people from the Canary Islands (Spain). Sci Total Environ 339:49–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the subjects involved in this research as a token of appreciation for their cooperation.

Funding

This project is supported by a grant from the Kerman University of Medical Sciences (project number: KMU/96001008).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Danial Abdollahdokht & Gholamreza Asadikaram

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Danial Abdollahdokht, Gholamreza Asadikaram, Moslem Abolhassani, Hossein Pourghadamyari, Mojtaba Abbasi-Jorjandi & Sanaz Faramarz

  3. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Gholamreza Asadikaram & Moslem Abolhassani

  4. Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Mojtaba Abbasi-Jorjandi

  5. Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi

Authors
  1. Danial Abdollahdokht
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gholamreza Asadikaram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Moslem Abolhassani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hossein Pourghadamyari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mojtaba Abbasi-Jorjandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sanaz Faramarz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Gholamreza Asadikaram designed and directed the project. Danial Abdollahdokht, Moslem Abolhassani, and Sanaz Faramarz carried out all experiments and oversaw data gather and analysis. Hossein Pourghadamyari and Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi helped the survey, analyzed data, and drafted the manuscript. Danial Abdollahdokht gathered and reviewed the literature. Danial Abdollahdokht and Mojtaba Abbasi assisted in sample collection. All authors participated in the manuscript revisions and approved the final edition.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gholamreza Asadikaram.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This research followed the principles of the amended Helsinki Declaration (2013) which is a statement of ethical concepts to supply guidance to physicians and participants in human-involved medical studies and confirmed by the Ethics Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (IR.KMU.REC.1396.031). All participants have consciously signed the consent form.

Consent for publication

All participants agree to publish this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interest.

Additional information

Resposible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

ESM 1

(DOCX 1728 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abdollahdokht, D., Asadikaram, G., Abolhassani, M. et al. Pesticide exposure and related health problems among farmworkers’ children: a case-control study in southeast Iran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 57216–57231 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14319-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14319-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation