The impact of pesticide use on human health: A case study from MyanmarMyanmar has a largely agriculture-based economy. About 70% of the population is actively engaged in agriculture, which contributes about 50% of the national Gross Domestic Product. The country’s agricultural crops include rice, jute, wheat, corn, peanuts, beans, cotton, sugarcane, rubber, vegetables, and other high value crops. Paddy rice is the major food crop, covering around 65% of the country’s cultivated area.

As with many developing countries in Southeast Asia, farmers in Myanmar use pesticides to improve agricultural production and increase yield. However, pesticide use has been found to cause problems to farmers’ health and the environment, especially since farmers do not dispose of used pesticide bottles properly. Pesticide use can lead to environmental problems such as the death of fish and other insects, air pollution from its unpleasant odor, and water pollution from pesticide residues. In turn, pesticide residues in water can lead to human health issues (e.g., headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and eye irritation).

This study investigates the extent by which pesticide use affects the health of users and their neighbors in Nyaungni, a village in the western part of Thongwa township of Myanmar’s Yangon region. Three hundred (300) farming households in Nyaungni were surveyed. Data gathered included the respondents’ symptoms believed to be caused by their pesticide use, their health care cost, and the resulting loss of income per season. Results were analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

A summary of the research “The Impact of Pesticides Used in Agriculture on Human Health: A Case Study of the Western Part, Thongwa Township, Myanmar” by May Lin Aung, Nyein Nyein Ei, Nay Kyar Lin and Aye Pa Pa Hlaing. Comments should be sent to: Ms. May Lin Aung, Associate Professor, Co-operative University, Thanlyin, Kyaikhauk Pagoda Road, Nyaung Thon

Bin Village, Thanlyin Township, Yangon Region, Myanmar. Tel: +9595406341. Email: maylinaung55@gmail.com.

EEI-LMS POLICY BRIEF: NO. 2017-PB3

It is common for farmers not to wear protective clothing during pesticide application.

The findings

Results indicate that farmers in Nyaungni village have been experiencing problems because of pesticide use. A strong relationship between frequency of pesticide use as well as incorrect use of pesticides (i.e., excessive pesticide use and not wearing protective clothing) and the illnesses experienced by users was found. Most pesticide users suffered from dizziness, headaches, vomiting, fever, shortness of breath, and eye irritation, usually during cropping seasons when they are actively using pesticides.

It was also found that the nearer to the farm the farmers lived, the more they spend on health care. The farthest distance between farm and the residence of farming households is 16 m. As most farmers live in or near their farms, their health is affected by both the pesticides they use and those used by adjacent farms, believed to be caused by the persistent agrochemical odor in the air during cropping seasons. Clearly, pesticides affect both users and villagers in surrounding areas both directly and indirectly.

Moreover, farmers suffer negative health impacts because they do not use the proper equipment during

pesticide application. Respondents report that some farmers use pesticides that are unbranded and that do not indicate instructions on how they should be applied, that are sold in containers of varying sizes, and that are restricted as they can seriously harm the health and the environment. Although the information available does not allow the researchers to verify whether there is a significant difference in health cost between farmers who use such pesticides and those who do not, it does appear that they face greater health risks.

Farmers in Myanmar generally have low educational attainment and lack knowledge on how to use and dispose of pesticides. For instance, it was found that farmers do not have a specific place to store their pesticide bottles although they are regular users. Farmers also do not dispose of used pesticide bottles properly, tending to simply throw the bottles haphazardly around their farm. As such, the disposed bottles float in canals and other public water bodies when it rains. This leads to the death of fish and insects as well as to other negative impacts such as land degradation.

Farmers do not dispose of used pesticide bottles properly tending to simply throw them haphazardly around the farm.

Some farmers use pesticides that are unbranded and that do not indicate instructions

on how they should be applied.

Policy implications

This research aims to provide policymakers with relevant information to help them control the negative impacts of pesticide use by modifying the existing laws and regulations governing pesticide use and economic efficiency in Myanmar. The negative effects on health of improper pesticide use results in low productivity, which translates to low income. If left unchecked, this can constrain the economic development of Myanmar, especially being an agriculture-based country. Hence, the study recommends that farmers be educated on the importance of wearing protective clothing during pesticide application. This includes headgear, eyewear, respirators, and a chemical-resistant apron. As this presents additional cost to poor farmers, an installment payment scheme can be set up for them. Moreover, pesticide dealers should be required to provide farmers with free protective equipment as part of their promotional strategy.

Farmers should also be educated on the proper disposal of pesticide bottles. The public, especially those who live near agricultural areas, should also be informed about the dangers of improper pesticide use and disposal. Heightened public awareness will increase the pressure on farmers to use pesticides responsibly.

Moreover, the government should improve its efforts in regulating the use of restricted pesticides and in controlling their importation and sale. Local production of pesticides should also be more closely monitored. A nationwide information campaign warning against the use of unbranded pesticides and emphasizing the negative impacts of pesticide use on health and the environment should be made through various media (i.e., radio, TV, and print media) to ensure wide coverage. Pesticide users should also be given pamphlets that provide information on the long and short-term illnesses caused by pesticide use. Billboards near rural agricultural lands that raise public awareness on the effect of pesticides on health may also be effective.

Pesticide companies should also be required to indicate the information shown on the pesticide label,

especially on application instructions and toxicity level, in Burmese because most farmers in Myanmar cannot read English. Pesticide dealers should also be required to explain this information to illiterate farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and pesticide companies should look into providing farmers with training on the safe pesticide application. Such a training course can be given to pesticide dealers, who can in turn provide the same training to farmers at the local level.

Conclusion

The advantages of pesticide application to improve production and increase yield are usually short term. On the other hand, its effects on farmers’ health and on the environment are long term and sometimes permanent. Clearly, the disadvantages of applying agricultural pesticides far outweigh its advantages. It is therefore imperative that pesticide users and other relevant stakeholders be educated about this so that they can make informed decisions regarding pesticide use.

The Economy and Environment Institute – Lower Mekong Subregion (EEI-LMS) assists the governments of Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia in their efforts to foster a greener, cleaner and more inclusive development through its training and research activities for decision makers and researchers who can help pursue this growth path. It is a member of the Economy and Environment Partnership for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA Partnership), the regional partnership that took over the capacity building mandate of the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) that was supported by SIDA and IDRC for more than 20 years.

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