Positive significant associations were found between some organophosphates pesticides and total testosterone. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Investigation of Associations Between Exposures to Pesticides and Testosterone Levels in Thai Farmers.
Arch Environ Occup Health. 2017 Sep 13:0. Epub 2017 Sep 13. PMID: 28901838
Parinya Panuwet
We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the relationship between pesticide exposures and testosterone levels in 133 male Thai farmers. Urine and serum samples were collected concurrently from participants. Urine was analyzed for levels of specific- and non-specific metabolites of organophosphates (OPs), pyrethroids, select herbicides, and fungicides. Serum was analyzed for total and free testosterone. Linear regression analyses revealed significant negative relationships between total testosterone and the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) after controlling for covariates (e.g., age, BMI, smoking status). Positive significant associations were found between some OP pesticides and total testosterone. Due to the small sample size and the observational nature of the study, future investigation is needed to confirm our results and to elucidate the biological mechanisms.