The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorLondon, Leslieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMajor, Viveca Joyen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-08T14:32:51Z
dc.date.available2014-11-08T14:32:51Z
dc.date.issued2010en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractDespite the obligatory requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993, Section 8(1)) that âevery employer shall provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of its employeesâ, farm workers in South Africa are exposed to numerous occupational health and safety hazards on a nearly daily basis. One of the many occupational hazards confronting farm workers is their exposure to pesticides, particularly organophosphates, which are potent neurotoxic chemicals used for pest control. Exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPâs) is the cause of a significant number of acute and chronic poisonings amongst rural farm workers and residents in South Africa. While it is evident that the workers involved with the mixing and application of these agrichemical substances are at the greatest risk of exposure, others who are involved with general farm work are similarly at risk of exposure from spray drift and residue on crops, trees and leaves. An important association with the use of and exposure to pesticides is that of suicide in that OPâs are agents that are frequently used to commit suicide. However, being neurotoxins, it is known that OPâs have psychoactive effects and it is thought that long-term exposure to OPâs may be implicated in causing depression. Hence, exposure to OPâs has been postulated to result in suicidality amongst exposed farm workers perhaps through the pathway of depression, impulsivity, aggression or some combination of these factors. There are very few studies exploring this hypothesis to date. South Africa is the largest market for pesticide use in Sub-Saharan Africa and the grape farming sector is an intensive user of pesticides, particularly OP pesticides. This, study sets out to investigate the neuropsychiatric effects of long-term exposure to OPâs in wine and table grape farm workers in South Africaen_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMajor, V. J. (2010). <i>The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9411en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMajor, Viveca Joy. <i>"The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9411en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMajor, V. 2010. The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Major, Viveca Joy AB - Despite the obligatory requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993, Section 8(1)) that &amp;amp;acirc;every employer shall provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of its employees&amp;amp;acirc;, farm workers in South Africa are exposed to numerous occupational health and safety hazards on a nearly daily basis. One of the many occupational hazards confronting farm workers is their exposure to pesticides, particularly organophosphates, which are potent neurotoxic chemicals used for pest control. Exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OP&amp;amp;acirc;s) is the cause of a significant number of acute and chronic poisonings amongst rural farm workers and residents in South Africa. While it is evident that the workers involved with the mixing and application of these agrichemical substances are at the greatest risk of exposure, others who are involved with general farm work are similarly at risk of exposure from spray drift and residue on crops, trees and leaves. An important association with the use of and exposure to pesticides is that of suicide in that OP&amp;amp;acirc;s are agents that are frequently used to commit suicide. However, being neurotoxins, it is known that OP&amp;amp;acirc;s have psychoactive effects and it is thought that long-term exposure to OP&amp;amp;acirc;s may be implicated in causing depression. Hence, exposure to OP&amp;amp;acirc;s has been postulated to result in suicidality amongst exposed farm workers perhaps through the pathway of depression, impulsivity, aggression or some combination of these factors. There are very few studies exploring this hypothesis to date. South Africa is the largest market for pesticide use in Sub-Saharan Africa and the grape farming sector is an intensive user of pesticides, particularly OP pesticides. This, study sets out to investigate the neuropsychiatric effects of long-term exposure to OP&amp;amp;acirc;s in wine and table grape farm workers in South Africa DA - 2010 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2010 T1 - The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa TI - The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9411 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9411
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMajor VJ. The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2010 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9411en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMedicalen_ZA
dc.titleThe role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicidality amoungst farm workers on wine and table grape farms in the Worcester area of the Western Cape Province, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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