Thailand is one of the world’s exporters of commodity crops. There was hardly any evidence to indicate useof a respirator due to the lack of affordability. The factors contributing to the non-compliance with RPE recommendations by farmers included financial problems, availability, and thermal and mechanical discomfort. Unfortunately, most farmers wore RPE made of fabric which would not protect against pesticides efficiently. In addition, a systematic review by Sapbamrer and Thammachai found that only 43.2% and 13.9% of pesticides handlers across the world wore masks and respirators respectively, whilst working with pesticides. In fact, the RPE worn by pesticide handlers in developing countries did not meet the criteria for pesticide protection. Nuisance dust masks and surgical masks are not recommended. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has also published the 2015 revised Workers Protection Standards for agricultural pesticide use and recommended that the minimum requirement of RPE when handling pesticides in toxicity category I (extremely and highly hazardous) is a respirator with particulate filter. Since several pesticides are classified as organic vapors and pesticide spraying through nozzles produces fine particles, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that pesticide handlers should wear at least a respirator during handling of pesticides. Wearing appropriate RPE when handling pesticides can minimize damaging exposure and reduce the risks of adverse respiratory symptoms and related diseases. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is used to protect against pesticide inhalation and subsequent absorption through the respiratory system. Exposure to insecticides has also been linked to chronic respiratory health effects, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic bronchitis. Epidemiological studies available for investigation have shown that exposure to insecticides is associated with acute respiratory health effects, including coughing, wheezing, phlegm, breathlessness, chest pain, dyspnea, and nasal irritation. Chemicals in the form of particulates, vapors, gasses, and mists have a high potential for inhalation exposure, and cause serious damage to nose, throat, and lung tissues. ![]() ![]() Organophosphates and pyrethroids are classified as insecticides, and these insecticides are the most widely used in agricultural and public health sectors. Pesticides are substances that are widely used in agriculture for crop protection and in public health to control vector-borne infectious diseases. However, considerations around RPE use in low-and middle-income countries and tropical climate conditions should be based on pesticide toxicity and practical use, ensuring balance between the risks from pesticide exposure and acceptance of PPE use. Therefore, our results suggest that the RPE most frequently worn by farmers may not provide adequate protection when compared with the respirator. The RPE available in rural markets of Thailand had a filtration efficiency within a range of 64.9–95.4%, whereas a half facepiece respirator was the most efficient in filtering insecticides, with a range of 96.5–98.9%. The remarkable findings were that a surgical mask demonstrated the least filtration efficiency of all tested insecticides, with a range of 25.7–61.5%. The filtration efficiency of each RPE against insecticides was tested in a laboratory. Ten types of RPE were selected for testing. The half facepiece respirator was used as a control to compare the results with other RPE. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the efficiency of insecticide filtration of various RPE commonly worn by farmers in Thailand. However, scientific data regarding the pesticide filtration efficiency of RPE commonly worn by farmers is limited. Thai farmers usually protect themselves against pesticide exposure by wearing commercial respiratory protective equipment (RPE) available from rural community markets. ![]() ![]() Farmers are at a high risk of inhalation exposure when handling pesticides.
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