Thanusin Saleeon, Wattasit Siriwong, Ḫ̩ctor Luis Maldonado-P̮̩rez, and Mark Gregory Robson
Thai traditional tobacco cultivation may lead to adverse health effects due to Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS) and pesticide exposure. Acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) and plasm acholinesterase (PChE) have been used to monitor the extent of organophosphate and carbamates exposure in Thai traditional tobacco farmers in Nan Province. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 84 Thai traditional tobacco farmers who had exposure to GTS in two Sub-Districts. A face-to-face questionnaire and a blood test with the Test-Mate OP Kit were used in data collection. It was found that the prevalence of risk level of AChE was 61.90% and the safe level was 38.10%, while the risk level of PChE was 42.86% and the safe level was 57.14%. A multivariate analysis revealed that symptoms of GTS were associated with safe level of AChE such as nausea and vomiting, the safe level of PChE were related to dizziness, but headache and increased saliva were correlated with the risk level. In addition, the safe level of AChE was associated with vomiting after being adjusted and the safe level of PChE with dizziness after being adjusted. Furthermore, pesticide was not applied in all periods but symptoms of GTS were still found in some tobacco farmers who had never used pesticides before; thus, it is possible to conclude that safe levels of AChE and PChE contribute to nicotine poisoning or GTS.
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