Male reproductive hormonal profile of cotton farmers exposed to synthetic pesticides in the north-east of Benin.

Abstract

Background and Objective: Most chemical pesticides used in agriculture are endocrine disruptors. Several studies report the adverse effect of endocrine disruptors on male sex hormones. This study aimed to investigate the profile of male sex hormones of cotton growers directly exposed to chemical synthetic pesticides in the North-East of Benin. Materials and Methods: This study was an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study carried out from May 6 to August 30, 2016 in the North-East of the Republic of Benin. Study sample consisted of 95 cotton growers exposed to pesticides (mean age: 33.54±9.43 years) and 95 non-exposed subjects (mean age: 30.97±5.22 years). The level of male hormones: Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and total testosterone was determined in subjects’ serum using radioimmunoassay. Results: The mean values of LH, FSH and testosterone levels were respectively 7.10±4.73 and 5.31±3.14 UI/L and 7.03±3.33 ng mLG1 in exposed cotton growers versus 7.31±4.20 and 4.95±3.00 UI /L and 10.23±3.60 ng/mL in non-exposed subjects. The mean testosterone level of exposed cotton farmers was significantly lower than the one of non-exposed subjects (p<0.0001). The prevalences of abnormal concentration of LH, FSH and testosterone in cotton producers were respectively 13.70, 7.37 and 18.94%. Conclusion: There are abnormalities in the male hormonal profile of cotton farmers exposed to chemical synthetic pesticides in the North-East of Benin. Among those abnormalities, the one of testosterone level is predominant.