In Thailand’s agricultural communities, a number of pesticide products have been
frequently used in agricultural farms and this is raising concerns about potentially adverse effects
on human health and environment in the community. The objective of this study was to
investigate residential pesticide exposure in farm and non-farm families in an agricultural
community in Ubonratchathani province, Thailand during April, 2012. All participants signed the
consent form before data collection. A total of 108 households of farm and non-farm families
were recruited. Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) were collected by 24 hr indoor air sampler and
wiping surface residues with 40% iso-propanol gauze pads. Both air and surface residues samples
were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame photometric detector. Chlorpyrifos pesticides
were detected in air samples with an average 1.28x10-3 mg/m3
in farm families and 1.15x10-3
mg/m3
in non-farm families. Chlorpyrifos and pirimiphos-methyl were detected in surface residue
samples with an average of 0.047 mg/cm2 and 0.032 mg/cm2
respectively in farm families. In
non-farm families, chlorpyrifos and pirimiphos-methyl were detected with an average of 0.029
mg/cm2 and 0.024 mg/cm2
respectively. Pesticides used in farms have contaminated the indoor
environment and can be tracked in by clothes, shoes and air drift. This study described that
residential pesticide exposure among families who live in agricultural communities and people in
agricultural community are possibility exposed to pesticides indirectly by their main occupation
in the community