Occupational Pesticide Exposure and Liver Function Outcomes Among Agricultural Workers in Kebbi State: An Analytical Study

Organophosphate and carbamate pesticide exposure has documented hepatotoxic effects, yet epidemiological data linking occupational exposure to liver function abnormalities among Nigerian smallholder farmers remain sparse. This analytical cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between occupational pesticide exposure and liver function test outcomes among agricultural workers in Kebbi State, North West Nigeria. Three hundred and twenty farmers were recruited from rice and vegetable farming communities through cluster sampling, with 100 unexposed administrative workers serving as controls. Exposure assessment was conducted using a validated pesticide exposure questionnaire combined with urinary metabolite sampling for dialkyl phosphate metabolites. Serum liver function tests including AST, ALT, GGT, and total bilirubin were measured using spectrophotometric methods. Alanine aminotransferase elevations above reference range were found in 43.1 percent of exposed farmers versus 11 percent of controls (p less than 0.001). Logistic regression identified years of pesticide use (OR: 4.32), absence of PPE use (OR: 3.17), and mixing of multiple pesticide products (OR: 2.88) as significant independent predictors of abnormal liver function. Dose-response relationships were established for urinary metabolite concentrations and ALT levels. This study contributes new epidemiological evidence on occupational hepatotoxicity in Nigerian agricultural settings and recommends biological monitoring programs, strict PPE enforcement, and farmer health literacy programs in Kebbi State. Keywords: pesticide exposure, hepatotoxicity, liver function, agricultural workers, Kebbi State.