Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
symptoms of potential illnesses and exposure also contribute to the lack of
demand for education.
Pesticides, health and environmental risk perceptions
and practices
All farmers surveyed used pesticides classified by WHO as Class I, II and III
(extremely, highly and moderately hazardous). The top five pesticides used
were dimethoate, dicofol, lanate (methomyl), maneb and metaphos
(parathion). These were applied liberally and frequently (on average every ten
days) during the growing season, on various vegetables, with little regard to
the direction of the wind. Farmers were observed to wear very little
protective clothing and equipment, exposing arms, hands, legs, feet, face and
head to pesticides on a continual basis. Also, they often remained in fields
after a treatment despite the presence of strong chemical smells, and were
observed smoking, drinking and eating during and after applications. They
were also seen weeding and planting after treatments, increasing the potential
for exposure to pesticides through contact with air, soil and plants. The half-
life of some of these pesticides has been documented at 60-120 days,
suggesting the continual presence of these chemicals in the environment
(Gueye, 2005).
In addition, according to discussions with farmers, crops are harvested
and sold immediately after pesticide application without allowing for the
proper waiting period. Women often harvest crops and both children and
babies were regularly observed playing in fields. This suggests the potential
for pesticide exposures among the larger farm population.
Farmers identified headache and vertigo most frequently as health effects
linked to the use of pesticides. This was followed by stomach ache and other
digestive and respiratory problems. Twenty-eight per cent (14/50) of the
farmers reported a pesticide poisoning in the past year, comparable with
another study conducted in the Niayes where 25 per cent of surveyed farmers
reported pesticide poisonings (Cisse, 2000). Symptoms related to these
poisonings in both studies included vertigo, dizziness, headaches, stomach
ache and blurry vision. These are in keeping with the known acute effects of
the principal products identified as used just prior to the poisoning, including
metaphos, dicofol and methamidophos (International Programme on
Chemical Safety, 2006). Such congruence suggests a valid understanding of a
cause and effect relationship between pesticide exposure and health effects.
Also, it underlies farmers' articulated need for education on the health and
environmental
effects of pesticides as
revealed in focus groups and
questionnaires.
The PEAR process
During my work with the farmers, the lead researcher attempted to facilitate a
collaborative inquiry process using various participatory techniques in order
to identify, analyse and resolve problems. What insights did such a process
