{
  "abstract": "Background Agricultural workers in Tanzania face substantial occupational health risks associated with pesticide exposure, yet national biomonitoring data remain limited. Organophosphate and carbamate pesticides inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an established biomarker of pesticide exposure and early biological effect. This study evaluated erythrocyte AChE inhibition among agricultural workers across multiple farming systems and geographic regions in Tanzania. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2020 and December 2025 within the framework of occupational safety assessments coordinated by the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA). A total of 1,387 agricultural workers from Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Mbeya/Songwe, and Coastal regions were recruited using multistage stratified sampling. Participants were classified as pesticide-exposed workers if they directly handled pesticides during agricultural activities and as apparently unexposed workers if they had no direct occupational pesticide handling responsibilities. Erythrocyte AChE activity was measured using the Test-mate ChE Cholinesterase Test System (Model 400). Statistical analyses included independent-samples t-tests, one-way and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), mixed-effects regression models, Pearson correlation analyses, and Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference post-hoc tests. Results Pesticide-exposed workers had significantly lower AChE levels compared with apparently unexposed workers (21.52 ± 2.41 vs. 28.47 ± 6.93 U/g Hb; mean difference = 6.95 U/g Hb; 95% CI: 6.54–7.36; p < 0.001). Regional differences were observed, with Morogoro recording the lowest mean AChE level and the highest proportion of exposed workers. Sugarcane workers demonstrated lower mean AChE levels than other agricultural sectors. Mixed-effects modeling confirmed that occupational pesticide exposure remained significantly associated with reduced AChE activity after adjustment for farm-level clustering and covariates. Conclusions This study demonstrates a strong association between occupational pesticide exposure and reduced erythrocyte AChE activity among agricultural workers across diverse farming systems in Tanzania. The findings support the integration of routine cholinesterase biomonitoring into occupational health surveillance programs.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology",
    "Directorate of Pesticide Management, Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA)",
    "Department of Internal Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre",
    "Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University",
    "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Raphael J. Mwezi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jones A. Kapeleka"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Rosevera Kombo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yusuph Owanga"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sarah J. Urasa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Marieke C. J. Dekker"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "William P. Howlet"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Richard Walker"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Joseph Bukalasa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "John-Mary Vianney"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb8j3t8zyq6v3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12995-026-00520-w",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-026-00520-w",
  "id": "cb8j3t8zyq6v3",
  "issns": [
    "1745-6673"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-026-00520-w",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC963-969"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7170948232",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "BMC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb8j3t8zyq6v3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:46:34Z",
      "native_id": "943995fc9ebb44a2bc62df031c74d4e3",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-026-00520-w"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1110|Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Biomonitoring of acetylcholinesterase inhibition among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study",
  "title_text": "Biomonitoring of acetylcholinesterase inhibition among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:46:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb8j3t8zyq6v3",
  "venue": "Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology",
  "versions": []
}