Citation

Salaroli L, Petarli G, Cattafesta M, Luz TCD, Bezerra OMPA, Zandonade E. Curr. Dev. Nutr. 2019; 3(Suppl 1): P04-077-19.

Affiliation

Federal University of Espirito Santo.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Society for Nutrition, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/cdn/nzz051.P04-077-19

PMID

31225408

PMCID

PMC6579450

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the occupational exposure to pesticides, risk perception, safety practices and factors associated with the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the handling of pesticides in a municipality in southeastern Brazil.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of 550 farmers from Santa Maria de Jetibá, the main agricultural municipality in the state of Espírito Santo/Brazil. The sociodemographic and occupational characterization of farmers with direct exposure to pesticides and the analysis of the chemical and toxicological characteristics of the products used were carried out.

RESULTS: There were 106 brands of pesticides totaling 45 chemical groups and 77 different active ingredients. Glyphosate diammonium salt was the most active active ingredient and was used by 66.4% of the farmers (n = 339), followed by the fungicide mancozeb (58.4%, n = 298) and the herbicide paraquate dichloride (58% , n = 296). Of the farmers evaluated, approximately 90% (n = 453) reported use of highly toxic agrochemicals, 56.3% (n = 276) used more than five pesticides and 51% (n = 274) worked 20 years ago in direct contact with these products. Approximately half of the farmers reported not reading the pesticide label (49.4%, n = 254), more than a third did not observe the time required to harvest, reapply and re-enter the crop and 71.4% (n = 380) did not use PPE or used it incompletely. The most cited reason for not using protective equipment was because they were uncomfortable (41.4%, n = 48). Several factors were associated with non-use, such as low socioeconomic class (P = 0.002), low educational level (P = 0.05), lack of technical support (P < 0.001) and no reading of the labels (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the severity of occupational exposure to agrochemicals among Brazilian farmers. It was identified a population of rural workers exposed cumulatively to multiple pesticides, most of them of high toxicity. Unsafe handling practices such as the non-use of PPE and non-compliance with the grace periods for re-entry, reapplication and harvesting were also observed, posing a risk to the farmer's health and the food safety of consumers. FUNDING SOURCES: Foundation for Research Support of Espírito Santo (FAPES).

Language: en