Thailand Medical Study Using AI Uncovers Links Involving Pesticide Exposure and Liver Disease Risk
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Feb 23, 2026 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
Thailand Medical: A new study from Thailand is drawing attention to a hidden health danger that may affect many people living in farming communities. Researchers have found that long-term exposure to multiple pesticides could significantly increase the risk of chronic liver disease and liver cancer. The findings suggest that chemicals commonly used in agriculture may quietly damage the liver over time, even when exposure levels seem low or routine.
New medical research from Thailand links higher pesticide exposure with increased risks of chronic
liver disease and liver cancer
Researchers And Institutions Behind the Study
The research was carried out by scientists from several leading institutions including the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at the National Cancer Institute in the United States, Georgetown University Medical Center, Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, Rajavej Hospital, and other collaborating centers working under the TIGER-LC Consortium. The study involved 593 participants in Thailand, including patients with chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and healthy comparison subjects.
What The Scientists Examined
Instead of depending only on questionnaires or occupational history, researchers measured pesticide residues directly in urine samples. They tested for multiple chemicals commonly used in farming, including herbicides, insecticides, and rodenticides. To better understand real-world exposure, scientists combined these measurements into a single “pesticide load score,” which helped estimate the total burden of chemical exposure inside the body.
The
Thailand Medical team also used advanced statistical analysis and machine-learning tools to examine how pesticide levels related to liver disease risk. This approach allowed them to look at how combined exposure to several chemicals might affect health rather than focusing on only one pesticide at a time.
Key Findings Made Simple
The results showed a clear pattern. People with the highest pesticide exposure had a much greater chance of developing liver disease compared with those with lower exposure levels. The risk of chronic liver disease increased steadily as pesticide burden rose, and the risk of liver cancer also climbed significantly.
One insecticide, cypermethrin, stood out as particularly concerning. Even after accounting for age, alcohol use, and occupation, higher levels of this chemical were still linked to increased disease risk. Researchers also observed that predicted disease probability rose sharply across exposure groups, meaning that higher pesticide accumulation was closely tied to worsening liver health.
This Medical News report explains that the liver may be harmed gradually through ongoing inflammation, oxidative stress, and damage to cellular repair mechanisms caused by repeated exposure to chemical mixtures over many years.
trong>Why This Matters For Ordinary People
Thailand is one of the major users of agricultural pesticides in Southeast Asia, and many rural workers are exposed regularly. The study suggests that repeated low-dose exposure could have long-term health consequences that are often unnoticed until disease develops. The researchers believe that urine testing may offer a practical way to monitor exposure and identify people at higher risk before serious liver damage occurs.
How Artificial Intelligence Helped
Machine-learning models used in the study helped researchers predict disease risk more accurately by combining pesticide levels with lifestyle factors such as age and alcohol consumption. These models showed strong performance and may eventually support early screening programs designed to protect agricultural populations.
Conclusion
Overall, the study highlights a growing public health concern that goes beyond individual chemicals and focuses on cumulative pesticide exposure. The findings suggest that environmental exposure may be a major but preventable contributor to liver disease. Improving safety practices, strengthening pesticide regulation, and introducing regular biomonitoring programs could help reduce future disease burden and protect vulnerable communities. Continued research and wider validation are needed, but the evidence already points toward the importance of taking preventive action now.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.19.25336162v1
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