Abstract: The present study was carried out from November (2015) - October (2017) to determine the toxicological effects of pesticides exposure on agricultural application workers. Blood samples of the investigated workers were collected from Giza, Qalyubiyah and El-Buhayrah Governorates, Egypt. Thirty male individuals represented pesticide application workers were involved from the three governorates. Also, 25 male individuals (aged 18-55 years) were selected randomly from Cairo Governorate to represent the unexposed (control) group. Ten ml of blood sample per individual was collected and serological analysis for hematological (RBCs, TLC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC), biochemical (ALT, AST, total protein, urea, creatinine and uric acid) and oxidative stress (GSH.R, MDA and AChE) parameters were carried out.
Results: About 53% of workers involved was with an average level of education, between 18 and 35 years of age (57%), working in their field for 6 to 10 years (40%), about eight hours a day for six days a week on average (67%). Hb, MCH, MCHC, ALT, AST, AlP, TP, urea, creatinine and MDA were increased significantly by 5.58, 9.23, 3.75, 55.49, 42.44, 30.07, 6.83, 49.33, 25.48, and 133.02% respectively. While the levels of Alb, GSH.R and AChE activity were significantly decreased by 14.51, 8.33 and 21.04% respectively. a significant positive correlation between exposure duration and ALT, AST, creatinine, urea and MDA. While, there were significant negative correlations between exposure duration and total protein, alkaline phosphatase, AChE Activity, GSH.R, RBCs, Hb, PCV, MCV and MCH.
Conclusions: Increasing of pesticide application workers vital parameters gives an indication of the occurrence of various health consequences due to chronic exposure to pesticides. These results can be explained by the fact that the negligence of workers in following occupational safety and health measures from wearing protective tasks, not smoking, drinking and eating during the application of pesticides, resulting from the low awareness of workers about the risks of the materials dealt with and the decrease in their educational and cultural level increases the chances of exposure to the pesticide. On the health of the worker.