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Indicators of Genotoxicity in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador

Author

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  • Hans-Peter Hutter

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Michael Poteser

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Kathrin Lemmerer

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Peter Wallner

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Shifra Shahraki Sanavi

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Michael Kundi

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Hanns Moshammer

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Lisbeth Weitensfelder

    (Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

Banana farming represents an important segment of agricultural production in Ecuador. The health of farmworkers might be compromised by the extensive use of pesticides in plantations applied under poorly regulated conditions. Due to an increased awareness of pesticide-related problems for nature, as well as for worker and consumer health, ecological farming has been established in some plantations of Ecuador. We set out to investigate the occupational health of workers in both conventional and ecological farming. Nuclear anomalies in buccal epithelial cells were used as short-term indicators for genotoxicity and a potentially increased cancer risk in the two groups of farmworkers. By application of the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome Assay (BMCA), we found the frequency of micronuclei in conventional pesticide using farmworkers significantly increased by 2.6-fold, and other nuclear anomalies significantly increased by 24% to 80% (except pyknosis with a non-significant increase of 11%) compared to the farmworkers on ecological plantations. These results demonstrate that ecological farming may provide an alternative to extensive pesticide use with significantly reduced indicators of cancer risk. In conventional farming, improvements in education and instruction regarding the safe handling of pesticides and protective equipment, as well as regulatory measures, are urgently needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans-Peter Hutter & Michael Poteser & Kathrin Lemmerer & Peter Wallner & Shifra Shahraki Sanavi & Michael Kundi & Hanns Moshammer & Lisbeth Weitensfelder, 2020. "Indicators of Genotoxicity in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-10, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:4:p:1435-:d:324289
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hans-Peter Hutter & Abdul Wali Khan & Kathrin Lemmerer & Peter Wallner & Michael Kundi & Hanns Moshammer, 2018. "Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Male Coffee Farmworkers of the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-11, August.
    2. Ageo M. C. Silva & Paulo H. N. Campos & Inês E. Mattos & Shakoor Hajat & Eliana M. Lacerda & Marcelo J. M. Ferreira, 2019. "Environmental Exposure to Pesticides and Breast Cancer in a Region of Intensive Agribusiness Activity in Brazil: A Case-Control Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Brisbois, Benjamin, 2016. "Bananas, pesticides and health in southwestern Ecuador: A scalar narrative approach to targeting public health responses," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 184-191.
    4. Joshua Sikhu Okonya & Athanasios Petsakos & Victor Suarez & Anastase Nduwayezu & Déo Kantungeko & Guy Blomme & James Peter Legg & Jürgen Kroschel, 2019. "Pesticide Use Practices in Root, Tuber, and Banana Crops by Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda and Burundi," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Hans-Peter Hutter & Michael Kundi & Kathrin Lemmerer & Michael Poteser & Lisbeth Weitensfelder & Peter Wallner & Hanns Moshammer, 2018. "Subjective Symptoms of Male Workers Linked to Occupational Pesticide Exposure on Coffee Plantations in the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-10, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Natalia Landeros & Soledad Duk & Carolina Márquez & Bárbara Inzunza & Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez & Liliana A. Zúñiga-Venegas, 2022. "Genotoxicity and Reproductive Risk in Workers Exposed to Pesticides in Rural Areas of Curicó, Chile: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Hans-Peter Hutter & Michael Poteser & Kathrin Lemmerer & Peter Wallner & Michael Kundi & Hanns Moshammer & Lisbeth Weitensfelder, 2021. "Health Symptoms Related to Pesticide Use in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, January.

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