Correlation between blood ethylenethiourea and thyroid gland disorders among banana plantation workers in the Philippines.

Ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs) are metabolized into ethylenethiourea (ETU), a possible human carcinogen and an antithyroid compound. In this study our goal was to correlate ETU levels with the incidence of thyroid gland disorders among banana plantation workers exposed to EBDC. We randomly selected 57 directly exposed workers and 31 indirectly exposed workers from four banana plantations and 43 workers from an organic farm; all subjects underwent complete medical examinations and laboratory tests.