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As part of a large study on assessing the impact of environmental contaminants in Indian avifauna, the presence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in liver tissues of 16 species of birds collected from Ahmedabad, India during 2005–2007 was quantified. The higher concentrations of total organochlorine pesticides were detected in livers of shikra Accipiter badius (3.43 ± 0.99 μg/g wet wt) and the lower levels in white ibis Pseudibis papillosa (0.02 ± 0.01 μg/g wet wt). Marked differences in the concentrations of total OCPs occurred among species ( p  < 0.05). Concentrations of DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and isomers, dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide were lower than the concentrations reported for various species of birds in India. Accumulation pattern of organochlorine pesticides in birds was, in general, in the order HCH > DDT > heptachlor epoxide > dieldrin. Among various pesticides analyzed, p , p ′-DDE and β-HCH contributed maximum towards the total OCPs and study indicates the continuous use of lindane and DDT for agriculture and public health purpose, respectively. Although no serious threat is posed by any of the organochlorine pesticides detected in the present study species, continued monitoring is recommended.

Use of pesticides continues to be indiscriminate, and birds are one of the worst affected non-targeted organisms. Information on the ill effects of pesticides on birds far from desired in India. Despite the presence of a wide variety and number of birds, there is exceedingly little data on organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in colonial nesting birds in sanctuaries of India. A total of 76 individuals belonging to 14 species of birds found dead between March 2008 and March 2010 were analyzed for pesticide residues in various tissues. Of all the OCPs analyzed, concentration of HCH was found to be the highest. Magnitude of contamination varied widely among species. Accumulation pattern of OCPs in colonial nesting birds was in the order ∑HCH > ∑endosulfan > ∑DDT > heptachlor epoxide > dieldrin. Pesticides, namely p,p-DDE and β-HCH contributed most towards the total OCPs. Concentrations of DDT and its metabolites, HCH and isomers, dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide were lower than the concentrations reported for various species of birds elsewhere in India. Although the sanctuaries presently studied have official boundaries, physical demarcations are missing and there are no proper earthen dykes particularly in Vedanthangal and Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuaries. During monsoon, runoff not only floods the Sanctuaries but also the cultivated areas nearby. Run off brings in residues of pesticides and fertilizers from the agricultural lands into the sanctuaries. Although OCP results in this study were below threshold limits, it may be noted that the long duration exposure even to low levels of pesticides could create a significant impact at population level. Hence, earthen dykes need to be built to avoid agricultural runoff entering the Sanctuary and also help to hold sufficient amount of water for breeding birds.

Background This cross-sectional study evaluates occupational health hazards among farmers’ exposure to pesticides in Chikkaballapura, Karnataka, India, focusing on health complaints, demographic factors, occupational history and pesticide-handling practices. Methods A total of 226 participants were recruited, comprising 109 exposed farmers and 117 unexposed controls matched by age and gender. Structured questionnaires addressing demographics,and lifestyle characteristics, pesticide application practices, management procedures, and health complaints were used to gather data. Results Significant demographic disparities emerged, with a higher prevalence of younger individuals (≤ 30 years) in the exposed group (32%) than in the unexposed (18%, p  = 0.002). Education levels also differed: 12% of exposed farmers had postgraduate education compared to 3% of the unexposed group ( p  = 0.009). Dietary practices and lifestyle characteristics like chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol, and smoking did not significantly differ between groups. Occupational practices revealed critical safety gaps. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was limited, with only 27% of exposed farmers reporting the use of masks, 20% wearing goggles, and 15% using gloves. Many exposed farmers engaged in high-risk tasks, including pesticide mixing (62%) and weekly pesticide applications (52%), often without the use of PPE. Health complaints were significantly more common in the exposed group: 35% reported fatigue (compared to 20% in controls, χ² = 5.51, p = < 0.05). In contrast, respiratory problems were absent in the control group and evident in 9% of the exposed group. Musculoskeletal issues, including backache (32%), and neck pain (36%), were notably higher among exposed farmers. Dermatological symptoms like burns (21%, χ² = 12.9, p = < 0.05), blisters (15%, χ² = 4.85, p  < 0.05), and eye issues, including irritation (11%, χ² = 5.60, p  < 0.05) and blurred vision (8%, χ² = 4.55, p  < 0.05), were also significantly elevated among exposed farmers. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive interventions, including regulatory policies to improve access to PPE, safety training, and targeted educational programs for younger and less-educated farmers. Conclusion This study contributes essential data for developing targeted, context-specific preventive strategies to safeguard health in rural farming communities. In order to evaluate the long-term health effects of pesticide exposures, future research should look into pesticide residue monioring in enviornmental and biological samples, demographic, socioeconomic, and occupational factors that shape exposure risk, thereby informing policies to protect agricultural workers.

IntroductionHypertension a leading cause for cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. However, a positive lifestyle could potential modify the risk of hypertension. Despite, reports on the positive association between sedentary work life and hypertension/prehypertension, studies involving blue collar workers are scarce. Current multi-cantered study investigated the cross sectional prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among a group of blue collar (construction) workers.MethodsPresent cross sectional quantitative multi-centre study (Ahmedabad & Bengaluru) was executed after later to receiving Institute human ethics committee approval. Details on basis demographics and substance use was collected from all consenting construction labourers employed at construction sites. Blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) were measured using standard protocols. R software was used to collect, record and clean the data.ResultsA total of 1253 construction workers with mean (SD) age of 28.6 (9.6) years and 92% males consented to participate. About 46.7% and 30% respectively reported of tobacco and alcohol usage. The prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension was estimated as 39.3% and 11.1% respectively. Factors such as age, substance use, average work hours per day and BMI significantly increased the risk for hypertension.ConclusionInterestingly the prevalence of prehypertension among these blue collar workers was high, despite the labour intensive nature of work and relatively young age. Current observations suggest the need for further investigations, strengthen the ongoing screening and intervention programs by the public health policy makers.

Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues were determined in nine species of fresh water fishes caught from three bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 302 fishes were analyzed for various types of OCPS. OCPs, namely hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, and dieldrin were detected among various species of fishes. Among the various OCPs analyzed, HCH was the most frequently detected pesticides. Among the HCH isomers, β HCH contributed more than 50% to the Σ HCH. p,p’ DDT, the metabolites of DDT, had high percentage of occurrence. Among the cyclodiene insecticide residues, endosulfan was detected in more than 60% of the fishes. Varying levels of ΣOCPs (a sum of Σ HCH, Σ DDT, Σ endosulfan, heptachlor epoxide, and dieldrin) were detected in various fish species, although it was not significant ( p  > 0.05). However, significant variations in OCPs were observed among location and between seasons ( p  < 0.05). However, continuous monitoring is recommended to facilitate the early identification of risks not only to the fishes, but also to fish-eating birds breeding in these sanctuaries.

Skin diseases are a major occupational health issue in tannery workers because of work related exposure to various toxic chemicals used in tanning process. In the present study, prevalence of various skin diseases and predisposing factors in tannery workers were investigated.A cross sectional study including 114 tannery workers (male-89; female-25) employed at different tanneries of Southern India was carried out. Face to face interview with pre-designed questionnaire and health examination was conducted. Skin samples obtained from the participants were subjected to microscopic examination and microbial culture for diagnosis of skin diseases. The prevalence of occupational skin disorders were 39% among the study participants. Contact dermatitis (16%), skin infections (16%), eczematous lesions (7%) and nail discoloration (1.75%) wereidentified. Skin infections of fungal origin were identified among 11.4% of subjects. The skin infections of fungi; tenia corporis, tenia cruris, tenia unguium, tenia versicolor, tenia pedis and Pityriosis versicolor were identified. Bacterial skin infections identified were associated with contact dermatitis. Lack of PPE usage was reported among 30% of workers. Hazardous working environment, chemical exposure, humidity and lack of PPEusage were significantly associated with increased skin disease incidence(p<0.05), indicating the major predisposing factorsfor Occupation skin diseases.The findings of the study emphasize that,workers in the pre-tanning section and tanning sections are more vulnerable to occupational skin diseases.Compliance to use of PPEs, engineering controls to reduce exposure, education, frequent health surveillance and early identification & treatment could mitigate the occupational skindiseasesamongtannery workers.

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in liver tissues of seven species of birds collected from Ahmedabad, India during 2005–2007. All the samples collected were dead as victims of kite flying. Concentrations of ∑PAHs in livers of birds were ranged from 110 ± 32.6 ng/g wet wt (1,078 ± 320 lipid wt) in common myna Acridotheres tristis to 382 ± 90.1 ng/g (2,388 ± 563 lipid wt) in white-backed vulture. Statistically significant ( p  < 0.05) differences in ∑PAHs were observed among species. However, year of collection and sex of birds did not show significant differences in concentrations of PAHs. The levels of ∑PAHs measured in the present study species were higher than the levels documented for a number of avian species and were lower than those reported to have deleterious effects on survival or reproduction of birds. Presence of PAH residues in birds of Ahmedabad city show the continuous input of PAHs through environmental exposure. Although no threat is posed by any of the hydrocarbons detected, continuous monitoring of breeding colonies of birds is recommended in unpolluted reference sites as well as polluted sites. It is also the first account of a comprehensive analysis of PAHs in various species of birds in India. Therefore, the values reported in this study can serve as baseline values for future research.

Objectives The urinary excretion of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) was used as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. The urinary 8-oxodG levels in petrol filling station attendants (exposed) at various petrol bunks were estimated as well as in the unexposed (cashier) population. Materials and Methods A total of 100 workers (79 petrol fillers and 21 cashiers) aged from 20 to 41 years participated in the study. An informed consent was taken from each participant. Information on personal habits and health was obtained through a questionnaire. After shifts, urine samples were collected analyzed for 8-oxodG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Fifty-three percent of workers were in the 21–30 years age group. The maximum level of 8-oxodG was observed in the age group ≥ 41 years and the minimum in the age group of 31–40 years. The maximum level of 8-oxodG was observed among those workers who had ≥ 21 years of experience. The concentrations of 8-oxodG were significantly higher in petrol fillers than those in cashiers (p < 0.05). Conclusions Despite the conflicting results obtained in our study it was shown that 8-oxodG is related to chemical exposure. Further research is needed embracing a bigger number of participants to highlight the correlations between the exposure and the effects.

The impact of heavy metals and pesticides in our environment largely varies based on their chemical composition and the geographical conditions where they are present. This study assesses the variation in the concentration of heavy metals and pesticides in Kasaragod District, Kerala, Southern India. For the assessment, soil samples were collected from eight different locations of agricultural land during the three different seasons of 2017 and 2018. All the samples were tested for physicochemical characteristics, levels of heavy metals, and pesticides. The spatial distribution of trace metals and pesticides in the study area was performed by using the software Arc GIS, version 10.6. Significant variation in the physicochemical properties was observed during the different seasons. Similarly, the variation in the concentration of heavy metals in the soil ranged from 0.01 to 1018 μ g/kg. Among various heavy metals detected, aluminum (Al) was the most abundantly detected metal in the region of Malakallu, and cobalt (Co) was the scarcely detected metal in the region of Panathady. The average levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in the soil samples were from below detectable level (bdl) to 610 μ g/kg and bdl to 441 μ g/kg respectively. Thus, our study indicates the continuous occurrence and persistent nature of contaminants in the agricultural soil of Kasaragod. Therefore, periodic monitoring of soil contaminants is recommended in Kasaragod to assess its effect on the ecosystem and to develop an effective remediation strategy.

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured in liver tissues of seven species of birds collected from Ahmedabad, India during 20052007. All the samples collected were dead as victims of kite flying. Concentrations of PAHs in livers of birds were ranged from 11032.6 ng/g wet wt (1,078320 lipid wt) in common myna Acridotheres tristis to 38290.1 ng/g (2,388563 lipid wt) in white-backed vulture. Statistically significant (p<0.05) differences in PAHs were observed among species. However, year of collection and sex of birds did not show significant differences in concentrations of PAHs. The levels of PAHs measured in the present study species were higher than the levels documented for a number of avian species and were lower than those reported to have deleterious effects on survival or reproduction of birds. Presence of PAH residues in birds of Ahmedabad city show the continuous input of PAHs through environmental exposure. Although no threat is posed by any of the hydrocarbons detected, continuous monitoring of breeding colonies of birds is recommended in unpolluted reference sites as well as polluted sites. It is also the first account of a comprehensive analysis of PAHs in various species of birds in India. Therefore, the values reported in this study can serve as baseline values for future research. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]