ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND SANITARY RISKS: A STUDY OF FARM WORKER EXPOSURE AND HEALTH IMPACTS
Bianca Mancini , Department of Agro-Environmental Science (DISAAT), Aldo Moro University of Bari, ItalyAbstract
Farm workers are frequently exposed to a wide range of environmental pollutants, including pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial emissions, which can pose significant health risks. This study investigates the sanitary risks associated with pollutant exposure among farm workers, focusing on both direct and indirect health impacts. Through a combination of environmental sampling, surveys, and health assessments, we identify common pollutants in agricultural settings and assess their potential to cause respiratory issues, skin conditions, and other health problems. Findings indicate that prolonged exposure to these pollutants can lead to chronic health conditions, with vulnerable groups such as seasonal workers and individuals with limited access to healthcare being at heightened risk. This study emphasizes the need for improved safety regulations, access to protective equipment, and regular health screenings for farm workers to mitigate the impacts of pollutant exposure.
Keywords
Environmental pollutants, Farm workers, Sanitary risks
References
ARPA Campania (Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention andProtection). 2009. Monitoraggio ambientale zona acerrana.Available from: http://www.arpacampania.it/index.asp.
Barra M.I., Ricciardi P., Terracina A. 2008. Chemical and carcinogenic-magents: health risks and occupational diseases. pp 57-66 in Proc.Congr. The evaluation of the chemical risk inside chemical labora-tories of pure and applied search, 10 June, Roma, Italy.
Cerruto E., Balsari P., Oggero G., Friso D., Guarella P., Raffaelli M. 2008.Operator safety during pesticide application in greenhouse: a sur-vey on Italian situation. Acta Horticult. 801:1507-14.
Cottica D., Grignani E. 2010. Evaluation of the exposure to chemicalagents: algorithms and measurements, advantages and difficulty.Ital. J. Med. Jobs Ergonomics 32:113-6.
Gino G. 2010. Methodological and normative aspects for the analysis ofthe chemical risks caused by jobs. Ital. J. Med. Jobs Ergonomics32:108-12.
ISS-ISPESL (Istituto Superiore di Sanità - Istituto Superiore per laPrevenzione E la Sicurezza del Lavoro). 2009b. Banca dati ISS-ISPESL - Proprietà tossicologiche dei contaminanti. Available from:http://www.iss.it/binary/suol/cont/prop_toss_Banca_dati_ISS_ISPESL_Maggio_2009.pdf
Johnson P, Ettinger R. 1991. Heuristic model for predicting the intru-sion rate of contaminant vapours into building. Environ. Sci.Technol. 25:1445-52.
Mausacchio C., Sanvito I. 2012. Flux Chamber: study and definition ofthe preparation for the evaluation of the soil emissions. J. Solid.Waste 26:108-14.
Nano G. 2010. Models for the evaluation of the exposures. Ital J MedJobs Ergonomics 32:121-4.
Settimi L., Davanzo F., Marcello I. 2007. National system of overseeingfor the acute poisonings caused by pesticide: observations carriedout in 2005. Reports ISTISAN 2007. Available from:http://www.iss.it/binary/publ/cont/07-51.1203428194.pdf
Tortora A., Sica C., Capobianco R.L. 2005. Workers’ health and safetyinside greenhouses. pp 1-12 in Proc. VIII AIIA Natl. Congr., 27-30,June, Catania, Italy.
US EPA. 1997. Exposure factors handbook. Volume I - General factors,EPA/600/P-95/002Fa. United States Environmental ProtectionAgency, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Article Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2024 Bianca Mancini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.