Pesticide risk to livestock farmers

11 October 2000



Pesticide risk to livestock farmers

By FWi staff

FARMERS who apply insecticides to livestock are nearly four times more likely to have symptoms of lung disease than farmers who dont, say researchers.

The finding is the first time that pour-on or spot-spray livestock pesticides – as used by many British farmers – have been linked to lung-disease symptoms.

The results of the study were published in the October issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

Researchers at the University of Iowa College of Public Health were led by Nancy Sprince, professor of occupational and environmental health.

Professor Sprince said: “Ours is the first study to show that this specific type of insecticide application to livestock causes any health effects.”

The results were based on responses from 385 Iowa farmers enrolled in the Iowa Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project.

Researchers found that the likelihood of asthma-like symptoms for farmers who personally apply insecticides to their livestock nearly quadrupled.