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Best Practices in the Detection and Monitoring of Pesticide Exposure

Farmers and agricultural workers are routinely exposed to a wide variety of chemicals. Toxicity Category I and II organophosphates (OPs) and N-methyl carbamates are cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides commonly used in agriculture to kill insects or prevent them from damaging or destroying crops. Over-exposure to these chemicals results in the inhibition of the enzyme cholinesterase (ChE) which is utilized in the body’s conducting tissue, such as nerve and muscle motor sensory fibers. Acute toxic effects can include confusion, headache, and even loss of consciousness. Severe inhibition of ChE in the body can result in muscle paralysis, respiratory failure, seizures, coma, and death. Currently, there is no practice standard or national medical surveillance program for cholinesterase monitoring.