Acquired methemoglobinemia secondary to pesticide exposure: role of vitamin C

Abstract

Introduction: In agricultural practices, workers are often exposed to various pesticides without adequate protection, leading to increased exposure to these toxic substances. This study aims to determine the prevalence of methemoglobinemia among rice farm workers
who are exposed to pesticides and to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin C as a treatment.
Materials and methods: This study is a prospective cross-sectional correlational analysis involving 112 workers. We confirmed 11 cases of methemoglobinemia, all of which were treated with high-dose vitamin C. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. We cal-culated measures of central tendency and dispersion, and the Chi-square test was performed with a significance level set at P < 0.05. The strength of association was determined through
both raw and adjusted prevalence ratios, expressed with their 95% confidence intervals.
Results: The prevalence of methemoglobinemia is 9.8%. The factors associated with this condition include exposure to propanil (PRa: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.710 - 2.600), not using pro-
tective equipment (PRa: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.154 - 1.755), working for three or more years (PRa: 9.6; 95% CI: 1.277 - 72.882), and having anemia (PRa: 3.50; 95% CI: 1.985 - 11.292).
Clinical improvement was noted after 3 to 5 days of treatment with vitamin C. Discussion: The prevalence of this disease is high among this work group; therefore, pre-
ventive measures must be reinforced during exposure to pesticides, particularly propanil. Oral administration of Vitamin C is an effective and safe therapeutic alternative.