Working for much of one’s working life in an environment with pesticides has been linked to a higher chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the future, a conclusion reached by a study that took into account other risk factors for developing this pathology, such as smoking and asthma in the participants, which did not interfere with the results.
Although data from more than 500,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 were analyzed, complete data – good quality spirometry and smoking history and work environment – were only obtained for 94,514 individuals. Of this last group, 11% had a diagnosis of asthma, 59% had never smoked, and only 5.5% used tobacco regularly.
To find out what the work environment was like during the study, published in The BMJ magazine, biological dust, mineral dust, gases and fumes, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, aromatic solvents, chlorinated solvents, other solvents and metals, plus two compounds of the above, to include all pesticides and vapours, gases, dusts and fumes.
Pesticide exposure at any time on the job was associated with a 13% increased risk of COPD and a 32% increase in high cumulative exposure
Only some of the participants had been exposed only to pesticides at work, just over 4% among those with COPD, and 3.5% among those without. However, 48%, almost half of those with COPD, and 47% of those without the disease, had been working in environments with a combination of several dangerous agents.
Pesticides in the workplace: up to 32% more risk of COPD
The prevalence of COPD, measured by spirometry, was 8%, that is, there were 7,603 cases. Putting all of the data together, the researchers found that those who were exposed to pesticides in the workplace at any time had a 13% increased risk of COPD, while high cumulative exposure—a combination of intensity and duration in space – was associated with a 32% increased risk.
After accounting for concurrent exposure to other agents, the above data were confirmed, as was after analysis of those who had never been diagnosed with asthma and those who had never smoked. Positive linear associations were found for all exposure indices, ie intensity, accumulation and duration, but no increased risk of COPD was observed for any of the other agents in occupational exposure, including dusts and metals.
Despite these results, since it is an observational study, hasty conclusions cannot be drawn, since it is not possible to determine the cause. Still, the researchers have stated that “focused preventive strategies for workers exposed to pesticides can prevent the associated burden of COPD.”
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