Reproductive and Thyroid Hormones among Male Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides

Omyma M. Hassan; Eslam S. Metwally

doi:10.12816/0011923

Article Details

Reproductive and Thyroid Hormones among Male Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides

Authors:

Omyma M. Hassan | Eslam S. Metwally

Publisher:

Egyptian Association of Community Medicine

Main Topics:

Medicine

Journal:

The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine 2013 Vol.31 Issue 4, pp.1-16

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

65635

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

20902611

pISSN:

11101865

DOI:

10.12816/0011923

Descriptors:

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Background: In rural Egypt, one of the main activities of men is agricultural work, where pesticides are used to control insects and weeds. Pesticides have been classified as endocrine disrupting chemicals, which may lead to alterations in male reproductive and thyroid hormonal levels. Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic occupational pesticide exposure on thyroid and male reproductive hormones among agricultural workers. Methods: The study included eighty male agricultural workers from El-Shomoot village, Qalubia governorate. Forty non exposed males work at Banha Faculty of Medicine were selected as a control group. All participating workers were interviewed using a precomposed questionnaire and investigated by measuring the blood level of male reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, testosterone & estradiol) and thyroid hormones (TSH, T3 & T4) according to standard procedures. Results: the exposed group had significantly lower values of testosterone, T3, T4, and LH compared to the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, there were higher statistically significant levels of TSH, FSH and Estradiol among exposed group compared to control group (p<0.05),such blood levels of studied hormones among exposed group were affected by many factors as type of job, duration of exposure and wearing protective clothes all differences were statistically significant (P<0.005). Conclusion & Recommendations: Chronic exposure to pesticides may cause endocrine disrupting effects on male reproductive and thyroid hormones. So we recommended, improving working condition, restriction of unlimited use of pesticides especially in agricultural purposes. Further researches are needed to evaluate pesticides effect on large sample to obtain detailed information about the exposure routes, pathways, other mechanisms of toxicity and other health hazards.

Article Details

Reproductive and Thyroid Hormones among Male Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides

Authors:

Omyma M. Hassan | Eslam S. Metwally

Publisher:

Egyptian Association of Community Medicine

Main Topics:

Medicine

Journal:

The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine 2013 Vol.31 Issue 4, pp.1-16

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

65635

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

20902611

pISSN:

11101865

DOI:

10.12816/0011923

Descriptors:

THYROID GLAND

THYROID HORMONES

PESTICIDES

PUBLIC HEALTH

HORMONES

AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

EGYPT

Pesticides

Male Reproductive Hormones

Thyroid Hormones

Egypt

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Omyma M. Hassan | Eslam S. Metwally

Publisher: Egyptian Association of Community Medicine

Main Topics: Medicine

Journal: The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine 2013 Vol.31 Issue 4, pp.1-16

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 10/2013

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 65635

Frequency: Quarterly

eISSN: 20902611

pISSN: 11101865

DOI: 10.12816/0011923

Descriptors:

Issues

Authors:

Omyma M. Hassan | Eslam S. Metwally

Publisher:

Egyptian Association of Community Medicine

Main Topics:

Medicine

Journal:

The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine 2013 Vol.31 Issue 4, pp.1-16

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

65635

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

20902611

pISSN:

11101865

DOI:

10.12816/0011923