Disruption of the Diurnal Cortisol Hormone Pattern by Pesticide Use in a Longitudinal Study of Farmers in Thailand

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gore R ; Kallayanatham N ; Kongtip P ; Konthonbut P ; Nankongnab N ; Pengpumkiat S ; Pundee R ; Woskie SR
• Description:
  Alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones has been associated with a range of chronic metabolic and cardiovascular health conditions. This study evaluated whether type of farming (organic versus conventional) or the number of self-reported days of spraying pesticides in the past 8 months was associated with diurnal cortisol levels. Salivary cortisol levels were measured four times a day (waking, 30 min after waking, 6 h after waking and bedtime) longitudinally, 8 months apart during three rounds of data collection. Pesticide using (conventional) and organic farmers were recruited to participate. Pesticide use in the previous 8 months was determined as the number of spray days for each type of pesticide used (herbicide, insecticide, fungicide) from selfreported questionnaires. Estimates of cortisol levels at four time points, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) were estimated with a longitudinal mixed model that accounted for the non-linearity of cortisol levels across the day. Conventional farmers had significantly lower cortisol levels at waking than organic farmers (3.39 versus 3.86 ng ml-1), 30 min after waking (5.87 versus 6.96 ng ml-1), 6 h after waking (1.62 versus 1.88 ng ml-1), and lower diurnal cortisol slope (-2.26 versus -2.51 ng ml-1). Farmers who frequently applied herbicides (90th percentile of the number of spray days in the past 8 months) had significantly lower waking, 30 min after waking, 6 h after waking, bedtime and diurnal cortisol slopes compared with those with no spray days of herbicide in the past 8 months (organic and some of the conventional farmers). Those who frequently applied insecticides in the past 8 months had significantly lower bedtime levels and diurnal cortisol slopes, compared with those with no spray days of insecticide in the past 8 months. There were no significant differences in cortisol hormones between those who frequently applied fungicides and those who did not spray fungicides. Repeated pesticide use appears to be disrupting the HPA axis and depressing the normal diurnal cortisol rhythm among conventional Thai farmers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Endocrine System Energy Metabolism Farmers Fungi Fungicide, Industrial Herbicides Insecticides Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Steroids

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• Keywords:
  Adrenal Cortex Adrenocortical Hormones Agricultural Chemicals Agricultural Workers Author Keywords: Agriculture Cardiovascular Function Cardiovascular System Cortisol Employee Exposure Exposure Assessment Farm Workers Fungicide Fungicides Herbicide Hormone Activity Hormones Humans Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis Insecticide Longitudinal Study Metabolic Effects Organic Pesticide Pesticides Pesticides And Agricultural Chemicals Pituitary Glands Salivary Glands Sprays Worker Health

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• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  406-417
• Volume:
  65
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062098
• Citation:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2021 May; 65(4):406-417
• Contact Point Address:
  Pornpimol Kongtip, Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 420/1 Rajvidhi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
• Email:
  pornpimol.kon@mahidol.ac.th
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20150928
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• End Date:
  20210731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b000b701725f2e9869dd993447eced36db02bae606628b0ee7f0a91a72721312aec5a3bb546c33a4351f85a6d14c57c3634c27334a2cccf7a14b8ddc0ea8ee70
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225411/cdc_225411_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 427.38 KB ]