Determining Kidney Damage Risk Factors Associated with Urine Paraquat Levels and Biochemical Urine Profile of Farmers in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Kidney damage from paraquat is influenced by several factors, including the duration of work, the span of exposure from the pesticide spraying, and the nutritional status of the farmers. This damage can be indicated by the high levels of paraquat and changes of the biochemical status in the urine. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the length of work, duration of spraying, and the nutritional status obtained from the measurement of body mass index (BMI) values, with the paraquat levels and biochemical status of the farmer’s urine samples.

This study was a cross‑sectional study and was conducted in September 2022 in North Landasan Ulin Village, Banjarbaru City, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The length of work and spraying duration were obtained from the direct interviews, while the BMI values were calculated by dividing the body weight(kg) by the body’s height(m). Analysis of the paraquat levels in the urine was measured using a spectrophotometer, while the urine’s biochemical status was obtained using the dipstick colorimetric method. Statistical analysis used: the relationship between each variable is analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation test.

Results from the study show that the length of work, duration of spraying, and BMI were moderately associated with an increase in the urinary paraquat levels(correlation coefficient [Rs] 0.26–0.50) (P < 0.05); although the previous factors did not appear to correlate with any changes in the urine’s biochemical status.

In summary, prolonged exposure to the spray in combination with the farmers’ long work hours, and also factoring in the abnormal BMI values, resulted in an increase of paraquat levels in the urine.