Informatics Publishing Limited

M. Hazarika ¹, R. Hazarika ²

Affiliations
1 B. B. K. College, Nogaon, Barpeta, Assam, IN
2 M. C. College, Barpeta, Assam, IN

Abstract

Occupational exposure of carcinogenic pesticides in agricultural fields of Barpeta district, Lower Assam, is a matter of concern. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between exposures of carcinogenic pesticides and occurrence of cancer in the agricultural region of Barpeta district. A structured questionnaire was employed in a field based case-control study to gather information on demographics, occupation, pesticide exposure, agricultural practices, family history and medical history along with smoking habit. One hundred cases of different cancers were identified in the field. The control (100) were chosen from the same environment in terms of age, sex, smoking and other food habit. To control confounders, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. To assess the dose-respond relationship between exposure and disease, the chi-square test for trend was used. One hundred (100) historically confirmed cancer cases were detected from the year 2008-2010. Sex and age matched one hundred controls were included in the study. Pesticide exposure independently associated with different types of cancer in the region. Lung cancer (OR = 1.138, 0.790-1.48, P = 0.769), Throat cancer (OR = 1.426, 0.564-3.78, P = 0.735), leukaemia (OR =1.167, 0.261- 5.909, P = 0.056), stomach cancer (OR = 1.069, 0.281-4.385, P = 1.00). Pesticide exposure strongly associated with cancer after controlling smoking. Cancer was associated with pesticide exposure after controlling the confounders. Smoking and eating during pesticide application were identified as modifying factors for increasing the risk of cancer. The poor pesticide work practices identified during this study. Proper training and educational campaigns are essential for handling pesticides.

Keywords

Pesticides, Occupational Exposure, Cancer, Barpeta District.

Full Text

   

J. N. Sarma , R. Hazarika , R. Sarmah , C. Gogoi

Abstract

The Brahmaputra Valley comprises very thick Quaternary alluvium in Upper Assam. The alluvium had been drilled for coring up to about 50m at four sites, viz. Dhola, Dum Duma, ChotaTingrai and Naharkatiya, which are almost equally placed in a north-south direction from the river Brahmaputra towards south close to the foot of the Naga Hills. From the sediment cores of each bore hole about seven thin sections had been prepared at equal intervals by impregnating the loose sediments with binding resin in undisturbed condition for petrographic study. The petrographic study reveals that quartz grains are angular to sub rounded, elongated to equidimensional in nature and of variable in shape and size. The detrital minerals in the sediments indicate it to be lithic arenitic in composition. QFL triangular plot infers that the sediments of two wells were derived from recycled orogenic sources. Q_mFL_t triangular plot shows that the provenance of the sediments of Naharkatiya was only transitional recycled, those of Dhola was quartzose, transitional, lithic recycled and mixed, those of Dumduma and ChotaTingrai was transitional and lithic recycled, mixed and dissected arc. The plot of the recalculated percentages of undulatory, non-undulatory monocrystalline and polycrystalline quartz (> 3units) in Diamond diagram indicates that most of the sediments were derived from plutonic and metamorphic sources except in Naharkatiya sediments where the contribution from plutonic sources is not evident.

Geochemical analysis of sediments of each well was carried out from six different depths to estimate particle density, bulk density, pH, LOI, acid insolubles, Ca, Mg, Na and K. Most of these parameters show the highest values in the sediments of ChotaTingrai well.

Keywords

Detrital modes, major oxides, provenance, recent sediments, Brahmaputra valley Assam

Full Text