A questionnaire survey was conducted to clarify the actual states of pesticide poisoning (disorders) and its related factors amang 178 male and 232 female farmers.
The results were as follows.
1) Of the subjects 30.7% complained of some health disturbance from pesticides, without significant difference in prevalence between males and females.
2) The most comman symptom was skin hazard (39.7%), followed by nausea (34.9%) and headache (32.5%).
3) Captafol (21.4%) and methomyl (12.7%), which are contained in common pesticides, were recognized as the cause of poisoning.
4) The highest prevalence of health disturbance from pesticides were seen in [orange only] growers (72.7%) among mixed crop groups, followed by [rice+ orange] producers (71.4%), and [rice+ sugar cane +sweet potato] cultivators (55.9%). These higher prevalence groups were also estimated to be the users of the higher amount of pesticide.
5) Significant coefficient correlations were seen between the prevalence of health disturbance from pesticides and the duration and yearly times of pesticide spraying and daily spraying hours.
6) A relatively larger proportion of farmers has a knowledge about pesticide poisonig. However a few of them take effective protective measures at pesticide handling.
The reverse correlation was seen between the prevalence of health disturbance from pesticides and the degree of reliance on effectiveness of pesticides.
The present study indicates that more effective education for safty use of pesticides to both producers and users, and development of non-pesticide use agriculture are essential to protect agricultural workers from health distubance from pesticides.

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The purpose of the oral mass schreening conducted at our hospital was early detection and prompt treatment of oral cancer and precancerous symptoms.
This report will show the epidemiological status of oral mucosal abnormality and precancerous lesions in a selected population of 3, 574 Japanese (1, 066 women, 2, 508 men, ranging in age from 22 to 76) during August 1990 to August 1991.
1. Out of 36 cases in which biopsies were performed, 17 cases were found to have leukoplakia (0.5%),
4 wiht lichen planus (0.1%), and 15 cases with other diseases (0.5%).
2. In 17 Ieukoplakia patients, differences were not statistically significant between men and women (P<0.005) and between age groups (p<0.005). The most common site of oral mucosal diseases was gingiva (47%), follwed by cheek (23%), and tongue (17%).
3. Smokers accounted for 94% of the patients with leukoplakia, and 31% of the individuals who were found heathy. This means a statistically significant difference betwwen smokers and nonsmokers (p<0.005).
4. The percentage of denture using examinees were 35% for patients with leukoplakia and 31% for healthy individuals. There was no significant diffemence between them (p <0.005).

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The prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) was studied in 96 subjects, aged 40 to 75 years, with diabetes millitus and without cardiac symptoms. Its relation to the duration of diabetes, the presence of diabetes-induced nephropathy, retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy, as well as risk factors for coronary artery disease, were also evaluated. Exercise-induced SMI, defined as 1≥ mm of ST-segment depression and thallium perfusion defect, was detected in 13 patients (14%). The duration of diabetes in the patients with SMI was not so long, averaging 2.8±3.0 years. The extent of nephropathy, retiopathy and peripheral neuropathy, and the presence of hyperlipidemia were similar in patients with and without SMI. The presense of hypertension and cigarette smoking were significantly correlated in patiens with SMI. It is concluded that SMI occurs frequently in asymptomatic patients wiht short duration of diabetes.

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Exposure of applicators to metalaxyl was assessed during the spraying to greenhouse cucumbers by power sprayers. Of four applicators wearing work clothes with a hood, a mask and gloves, two moved forward holding the nozzle in their hands so that they passed through the area sprayed by them. The other two went backward and sprayed both sides. Each of the applicators sprayed 14 to 18 g of metalaxyl during one hour of application. The estimated systemic expoure level in the forward moving group was 1 to 10 mg, 3 to 40 times higher than the exposure level of 0.25 to 0.29 mg in the backward group. But, skin exposure was insignificant or not detected in both groups. Also it was suggested that respiratory exposure was higher in the forward moving group than that in the backward group. In conclusion, when applying metalaxyl by any spraying techniques, the risk of poisoning was thought to be negligible under this research condition. However, the workers should employ the spraying technique moving backward, and be protected with suitable protective gear for preventing acute or chronic pesticide intoxications.

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The risk involved in agricultural work is exceedingly high. To verify the fact, we examined the occurrence rate of accidents due to farm machinery and the workmen's accident compensation insurance accounts in the agricultural sector. Statistics available in Kanagawa Prefecture showed that 12 people out of 1, 000 engaged in agriculture were involved in farm machinery accidents annually. This figure, when compared with the average number of 4 for all the other sectors of industry, bears ample testimony to the fact that agricultural work is a very dangerous occupation-about three times as dangerous as any other occupation.
Farmers across the nation have thus far paid a total of ¥3, 695 million in workmen's accident compensation insurance. Against this figure, a total of ¥6, 049 million (163.7%) have been paid in compensation for injuries those insured sustained in agricultural accidents. As for as this type of insurance is concerned, the issurer is operating in the red. Here again, it was proved that agriculture is a dangerous business.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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