Negative effect of methyl bromide fumigation work on the central nervous system

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 8; p. e0236694
• Main Authors: Park, Min-Goo, Choi, Jungmi, Hong, Young-Seoub, Park, Chung Gyoo, Kim, Byoung-Gwon, Lee, Se-Young, Lim, Hyoun-Ju, Mo, Hyoung-ho, Lim, Eunjo, Cha, Wonseok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 03.08.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aging; Animal cognition; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Bromides - urine; Central nervous system; Diagnosis; EEG; Electrocardiography; Electroencephalography; Environmental health; Female; Fumigation; Fumigation - adverse effects; Hazardous materials; Health aspects; Humans; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - toxicity; Insecticides - toxicity; Life sciences; Lungs; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Methyl bromide; Middle Aged; Neurotoxicity; Neurotoxicity syndromes; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational health; Ozone; Ozone depletion; Permeability; Pest control; Pests; Physical Sciences; Poisoning; Preventive medicine; Quarantine; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Social Sciences; Soil permeability; Soil structure; Urine; Workers; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236694

Methyl bromide (MB) is a fumigant that has been widely used for killing pests on plants in trade, soils, and structures worldwide due to its excellent permeability and insecticidal effect; however, MB should be replaced because it is an ozone-depleting substance. It is well-known that MB is highly toxic and hazardous to workers, but the effects of exposure in asymptomatic workers have not been explored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of MB fumigation on the health of fumigators at a sensitive level. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and urinary bromide ion levels of 44 fumigators (the study group) and 20 inspectors (the control) were measured before and after fumigation work from February to August 2019 in Busan, Korea. The mean post-work concentration of bromide ion (18.311 μg/mg CRE) in the fumigators was significantly increased from the pre-work level (7.390 μg/mg CRE) (P<0.001). The fumigator post-work median frequencies (MDF) and alpha-to-theta ratios (ATR) of EEG index were significantly decreased compared to the pre-work values (P<0.05 for all indices). In contrast, there were no significant differences in inspector EEG indices and urinary bromide ion. The urinary bromide ion levels in all the subjects were negatively correlated with MDF (P = 0.032). In conclusion, fumigators' EEG indices and urinary bromide ion suggested that occupational exposure to MB negatively affected the health of workers, although the workers were asymptomatic.