Assessment of thyroid function in pesticide formulators

Thirty male pesticide formulators exposed to the dust and liquid formulatio n of endosulfan, quinalphos, chlorpyriphos, monocrotophos, lindane, parathi on, phorate, and fenvalerate and 20 comparable control subjects from the sa me area of study were examined for the evaluation of thyroid function tests . The level of TSH was elevated (about 28%) in pesticide formulators as com pared to a control group, but the increase was statistically insignificant. Based on the individual TSH measurement, 3 of 30 formulators had isolated elevated levels of TSH and seem to have acquired sub-clinical hypothyrodism ; five had TSH values slightly elevated to the upper boarder line (4.03 mu IU/ml); and the majority of formulators (N=22) had TSH values in the normal range varying from 1.29 to 3.9 mu IU/ml. Total Ts was suppressed significa ntly (P<0.01) in formulators, while marginal decrease (about 7%) was notice d in T-4 level. This study indicated thyroid function impairment in few pes ticide formulators.