Research Focus

Agricultural chemicals that are used to control pest infestation, weeds, and to some extent modify growth of certain plants to enhance yields of agricultural produce are a potential health risk primarily to those who are occupationally exposed to them.. The focus of the research is to determine the effects of exposure to agricultural chemicals on endogenous antioxidants and other biological endpoints. The indicators of exposure that are identified by this research would be useful to monitor farm workers exposed to pesticides and minimize the inadvertent effects on their health.

Ongoing Research Projects:

• MONITORING CHANGES IN BIOLOGICAL ENDPOINTS OF EXPOSURE IN BLOOD OF FARM WORKERS.
  
  The objectives of this research are to monitor changes in biological endpoints of exposure to pesticides over a period of three years in farm workers, and to determine the effectiveness of antioxidant supplements. The biological endpoints include endogenous antioxidants, DNA adduct levels and cytogenetic changes in the blood and/or urine of farm workers.
  
  
• MODULATION OF METABOLIC EFFECTS OF PESTICIDE EXPOSURE IN RATS BY ESSENTIAL METALS.
  
  The objectives of this research are to determine the effects of dermal, oral or whole body exposure to pesticides on changes in endogenous antioxidants and to assess the interaction of certain pesticides, zinc and copper at the level of absorption using in vivo and in vitro techniques.

Staff

• Myna Panemangalore, Ph. D., Principal Investigator
• Fred N Bebe, M.S., Co-Investigator
• Avinash Tope, Ph. D., Co-Investigator

Publications Available On-line*

How to Protect Yourself and Your Health While Working with Pesticides

*In PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here to download this free software.