Pesticide Poisoning Linked to PPE Usage Among Pesticide Sprayers in Northeastern Thailand

Pesticide sprayers are directly exposed to pesticides during their work. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of adverse health effects in relation to pesticide exposure and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage among agricultural sprayers in northeastern Thailand. Previous research has not established whether basic protective equipment adequately safeguards workers from developing adverse health effects. The 421 pesticide sprayers who met the inclusion criteria were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. Most sprayers in this study were male (68.65%) with a mean age of 53.24 years (SD = 9.86), and 48.46% of sprayers had serum cholinesterase activity in the high-risk range. The prevalence of adverse symptoms was 37.53% (95% CI: 33.01-42.28). The most common symptoms were dizziness, nose irritation, and tachycardia at mild, moderate, and severe levels, respectively. Female sprayers, those cultivating certain crops, and users of hand-operated knapsack sprayers had a higher risk of adverse symptoms than control. The use of protective footwear significantly lowered the risk of blurred vision (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02-0.38) among sprayers. The association between wearing recommended shoes and a diminished risk of blurred vision is rather a reflection of compliance and co-variate protection. While most sprayers remained asymptomatic, the substantial adverse symptoms among female sprayers and knapsack users indicate inadequate protection under current safety protocols. These findings necessitate targeted, gender- and equipment-specific interventions to reduce occupational health risks. The finding that wearing protective footwear was associated with a lower risk of blurred vision warrants further investigation to inform evidence-based safety recommendations.