Intoxicações por agrotóxicos no estado do Tocantins: 2010–2014

Abstract

Introduction: Brazil is the world’s largest consumer of agricultural pesticides. That represents a serious public health problem caused by the population and environment exposure to those products. Purpose: To identify intoxications by agricultural pesticides in Tocantins during the years 2010–2014. Method: descriptive and exploratory study, having as a secondary data source the Notifiable Disease Information System (SINAN), making use of selected variables. Results: In the total, women are shown as the most affected by exogenous intoxications and men by agriculture pesticides, mainly the general farmer workers. The age groups most affected by agriculture pesticides are 20-29 years and 30-39 years. The most commonly reported toxic agents were insecticides (29.28%) and herbicides (27.07%). The most frequent activities were spraying (29.28%) and dilution (15.47%) and the main routes of exposure/contamination were the digestive and respiratory ones. In terms of exposure/contamination the accidental (49.17%), suicide attempt (32.60%) and environmental (14.64%) were the most present ones. Conclusions: The data reveal a serious picture that requires attention from the managers in facing that public health problem. This scenario represents a great and challenging issue forBrazil, the public health system – SUS, especially concerning health care, sanitary and epidemiological surveillance and environmental and worker health.