Horticulture cancer risk

Market gardeners and nursery growers are four-to-five times more at risk of getting leukaemia than the general population, with at least 30 deaths nationwide each year in the sector, a Massey University study has found.

Agricultural workers have the highest incidence of leukaemia of all New Zealand occupation groups, probably because of their exposure to chemicals, researchers believe. And women working in agriculture are up to four times more at risk than their male counterparts.

Greenleaf Plant Centre owner Keith Omelvena said he always took extreme care when working with chemicals and tried to use organic methods where possible.

When working with chemicals he wears a mask, waterproof gloves and overalls and makes sure he washes them separately from other clothes.

"I always check the labels and avoid breathing in the chemicals. I don't spray in windy conditions and after I have identified what the problem is I use the softest chemicals first.

"I find younger gardeners are more aware of organics, whereas the older gardeners are a bit more gung-ho using chemicals."

Occupational cancers account for more than 300 deaths in New Zealand each year, with the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee estimating that 30 deaths annually from leukaemia are attributable to occupational exposures.

Cancer Society South Canterbury health promoter Kate Johnson said research to determine causes of human cancers, particularly pesticide use was valuable.

"The cancer society supports the surveillance of pesticide use and regulatory policies, especially for those occupational groups at higher risk of exposure to pesticides.

"As female workers in this study have been found to be at higher risk workers, employers and regulators should review current practices of pesticide use and handling to protect the workforce from pesticide exposure. It would also be interesting to determine differences between female workers on farms using organic farming practices and those using pesticides."

The Massey study started in 2003, when researchers interviewed 225 cancer patients aged 25 to 75 and 471 randomly selected participants from the general population which showed those working in plant nurseries were four times more likely to develop non-hodgkins lymphoma, while vegetable growers and those in general production have a two-fold risk of developing that disease.

Lead researcher Dr Dave McLean said market farmers and growers face a risk nearly double that of the average population, probably due to exposure to pesticides.

"The overall risk appeared to be up to four times greater in women than men. It is not clear why this gender difference exists, but it has been hypothesised it may be due either to the different tasks and therefore potential for exposure traditionally performed by men and women in horticultural occupations, or to the fact that some of the chemicals are endocrine disrupter that affect women in a different way than they do men."

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