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education, mass-communication tools, peer influence, and extension services
to promote safe pesticide-handling practices in farming communities.
Ecological contamination has been monitored by the Division of Environmental
Health of the Ministry of Health in 38 rivers in Thailand from 1978 to 1985.
Organochlorine levels above World Health Organization (WHO) standards
were detected in a number of instances. Pesticide levels in food have also been
monitored by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of
Medical Sciences from 1982 to 1985. Multiresidue analyses revealed that 52.5%
of the samples contained pesticides.
Various training activities have been carried out to promote the safe use of
pesticides. With support from external agencies, such as the Agricultural
Requisites Scheme for Asia and the Pacific, the Groupement international des
associations nationales de fabricants de produits agrochimiques, the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), and WHO, programs for training trainers and raising public
awareness have been conducted.
Research needs
For Malaysia, there is an obvious need to establish a mechanism for collating
all statistics on the health and safety-related aspects of pesticide use. While
research to improve application technology, education, and communication
continues, work on exposure and ecological contamination in relation to
human health must be given additional emphasis and support. There is
insufficient emphasis on investigations into the acute and chronic effects of
pesticides on both the farmer-user and the consumer population at large. In
this context, the involvement of medical researchers is considered vital.
Technological improvements should be aimed at the small-scale farmer, with
regard to application systems and safety. Education and communication must
be carried out in parallel with research into improved technology. Smallfarmer
communities can benefit from more frequent KAP studies and education
programs. Research into remediation of the contaminated environment
as an approach to improving health and safety for farmers and the general
population should concentrate on gathering information on the extent and
status of these problems and the adaptation and adoption of available technology
relevant to regional needs.
In reviewing past research in the Philippines, it is notable that health-related
pesticide and residue studies have attracted the interest of only a few people.
Despite this, there is sufficient baseline information for investigators to proceed
to intervention studies, although data on the chronic effects of pesticide
exposure and residues are still lacking. Likewise, the effects of incidental
pesticide exposure, for which the general public is at risk from contaminated
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