Archives

Page No. : 141-142

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to identify the pesticide hazards among agricultural workers/farmers. A total of 42 male workers, age group 20-46 years who worked for 3-22 years in agricultural fields of three villages in Kashmir, were interviewed. The most commonly reported symptoms were headache (50%), followed by breathing difficulties and stomach pain (40.48%), muscle pain (35.71%), red eye (33.33%), dizziness (30.95%), hand numbness (26.19%), skin itching (21.43%), visual problems (16.67%) and nail infection/ decay (14.29%). It was observed that development of symptoms directly related to the duration of the exposure to pesticides. Farmers were advised to use proper personal protective equipment during handling and spraying of pesticides.

Keywords: Agricultural workers, health hazards, pesticides