86 Agricultural Harm to the Environment
occurred on legs during foliage applications on mature crops (Cole et al, 1998b).
Other studies have shown that additional field exposure occurs in the field during
snack and meal breaks, when hand washing rarely occurs (Paredes, 2001).
Family members are also exposed to pesticides in their households and in their
work through a multitude of contamination pathways. Excess mixed product may
be applied to other tuber crops, thrown away with containers in the field, or
applied around the house. Clothing worn during application is often stored and
used repeatedly before washing. Contaminated clothing is usually washed in the
same area as family clothing, though in a separate wash. Extent of personal wash
up varies but is usually insufficient to remove all active ingredients from both the
hands of the applicator and the equipment. Separate locked storage facilities for
application equipment and clothing are also uncommon. Swab methods have
found pesticide residues on a variety of household surfaces and farm family cloth-
ing (Merino and Cole, 2003).
Pesticide poisonings in Carchi are among the highest recorded in developing
countries (Cole et al, 2000). In active poisoning surveillance, though there were
some suicides and accidental exposures, most reported poisonings were of applica-
tors. While the extensive use of fungicides causes dermatitis, conjunctivitis and
associated skin problems (Cole et al, 1997a), we focused our attention on neurobe-
havioural disorders caused by highly toxic methamidophos and carbofuran. The
results were startling.
The health team applied a WHO recommended battery of tests to determine
the effects on peripheral and central nervous system functions (Cole et al, 1998a,
1997b). The results showed high proportions of the at-risk population affected,
both farmers and their family members. Average scores for farm members were a
standard deviation below the control sample, the non-pesticide population from
the town. Over 60 per cent of rural people were affected and women, although not
commonly active in field agriculture, were nearly as affected as field workers.
Alarmingly, both Mera-Orcés (2001) and Paredes (2001) found that poisonings
and deaths among young children were common in rural communities.
Contamination resulted in considerable health impacts that ranged from sub-
clinical neurotoxicity (Cole et al, 1997a, 1998a), poisonings with and without
treatment (Crissman et al, 1994) to hospitalizations and deaths (Cole et al, 2000).
In summary, human health effects included poisonings (at a rate of 171/100,000
rural population), dermatitis (48 per cent of applicators), pigmentation disorders
(25 per cent of applicators), and neurotoxicity (peripheral nerve damage, abnor-
mal deep tendon reflexes and coordination difficulties). Mortality due to pesticide
poisoning is among the highest reported anywhere in the world (21/100,000 rural
population). These health impacts were predominantly in peri-urban and rural
settings. This high incidence of poisoning may not be because the situation is par-
ticularly bad in Carchi, but because researchers sought systematically to record and
document it.
Acute pesticide poisonings led to significant financial burdens on individual
families and the public health system (Cole et al, 2000). At the then current