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The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers
Objective: Paraquat is a commonly used herbicide worldwide and is a well-documented cause of pulmonary fibrosis in studies of laboratory animals and in humans following high dose exposure (usually accidental or as parasuicide). The respiratory effects of long-term, low dose paraquat exposure have no...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Medicine
2017
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| _version_ | 1867613142777856000 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel |
| author2 | White, Neil |
| author_browse | Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel White, Neil |
| author_facet | White, Neil Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel |
| author_sort | Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Objective: Paraquat is a commonly used herbicide worldwide and is a well-documented cause of pulmonary fibrosis in studies of laboratory animals and in humans following high dose exposure (usually accidental or as parasuicide). The respiratory effects of long-term, low dose paraquat exposure have not been fully evaluated. We set out to evaluate the possible effects of paraquat spraying among deciduous fruit farm workers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 126 workers was performed. Administered questionnaires generated information on exposure, respiratory symptoms and confounding variables. Spirometry and gas transfer were measured and chest radiographs performed. Oxygen desaturation on exercise testing was by oximetry during a modified stage one exercise test. Results: No association was found between long-term paraquat exposure and reported symptoms, spirometry (FVC, FEVl, FEVl/FVC) and gas transfer (TLco and Kco) or chest radiography. Multivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between measures of long-term paraquat exposure and arterial oxygen desaturation during exercise (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Previous studies have also not shown a significant relationship between measures of paraquat exposure and standard tests of lung function. Arterial oxygen desaturation during exercise represents a more sensitive test. Our findings indicate that working with paraquat under usual field conditions for a long period is associated with abnormal exercise physiology in a dose dependant fashion. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/25687 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:26.417Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Department of Medicine |
| publisherStr | Department of Medicine |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/25687 The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel White, Neil Myers, Jonny Occupational Health~Paraquat - adverse effects~Paraquat - toxicity~Respiration disorders - etiology Community Health Objective: Paraquat is a commonly used herbicide worldwide and is a well-documented cause of pulmonary fibrosis in studies of laboratory animals and in humans following high dose exposure (usually accidental or as parasuicide). The respiratory effects of long-term, low dose paraquat exposure have not been fully evaluated. We set out to evaluate the possible effects of paraquat spraying among deciduous fruit farm workers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 126 workers was performed. Administered questionnaires generated information on exposure, respiratory symptoms and confounding variables. Spirometry and gas transfer were measured and chest radiographs performed. Oxygen desaturation on exercise testing was by oximetry during a modified stage one exercise test. Results: No association was found between long-term paraquat exposure and reported symptoms, spirometry (FVC, FEVl, FEVl/FVC) and gas transfer (TLco and Kco) or chest radiography. Multivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between measures of long-term paraquat exposure and arterial oxygen desaturation during exercise (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Previous studies have also not shown a significant relationship between measures of paraquat exposure and standard tests of lung function. Arterial oxygen desaturation during exercise represents a more sensitive test. Our findings indicate that working with paraquat under usual field conditions for a long period is associated with abnormal exercise physiology in a dose dependant fashion. 2017-10-16T10:32:31Z 2017-10-16T10:32:31Z 1996 2017-07-20T12:38:45Z Master Thesis Masters MSc (Med) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25687 eng application/pdf Department of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Occupational Health~Paraquat - adverse effects~Paraquat - toxicity~Respiration disorders - etiology Community Health Dalvie, Mohamed Aqiel The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| title_full | The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| title_fullStr | The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| title_short | The long-term respiratory health effects of the herbicide, paraquat, among Western Cape workers |
| title_sort | long term respiratory health effects of the herbicide paraquat among western cape workers |
| topic | Occupational Health~Paraquat - adverse effects~Paraquat - toxicity~Respiration disorders - etiology Community Health |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25687 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dalviemohamedaqiel thelongtermrespiratoryhealtheffectsoftheherbicideparaquatamongwesterncapeworkers AT dalviemohamedaqiel longtermrespiratoryhealtheffectsoftheherbicideparaquatamongwesterncapeworkers |