New Study Highlights Pesticide Exposure Risks in Tanzania

Published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, the study investigated the biological effects of pesticide exposure among 1,387 agricultural workers across different farming regions and sectors in Tanzania.

Agriculture plays a vital role in Tanzania's economy, but workers who regularly handle pesticides may face increased occupational health risks. Certain pesticides, particularly organophosphates and carbamates, can interfere with the normal functioning of the nervous system by inhibiting an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This enzyme plays an important role in nerve signalling, and reduced activity can serve as a biological indicator of pesticide exposure.

To better understand these risks, researchers measured AChE activity among agricultural workers involved in different farming activities, including sugarcane production, coffee farming, horticulture, and floriculture.

The findings revealed that workers directly exposed to pesticides had significantly lower AChE activity than those without direct occupational pesticide-handling responsibilities. Notably, workers in sugarcane production recorded some of the lowest AChE levels, while the Morogoro region had the lowest average enzyme activity among the regions studied.

The study highlights the importance of strengthening occupational health monitoring and promoting safer pesticide handling practices to better protect agricultural workers.

We are pleased to recognise the contributions of our researchers to this important study, which adds to the growing body of evidence on occupational and environmental health risks in African agricultural communities. You can read the full publication here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12995-026-00520-w 

Last modified: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 12:16:34 GMT