Abstract
Pesticide overuse is highly harmful to human health and has become a serious public health issue in developing countries,Brazilincluded. Current study collects and evaluates data on toxicity risk to farmers exposed to pesticides in Marema, a municipality in the west of the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina. The sectional, descriptive and observational study comprises a questionnaire with open and closed questions. Retrieved data showed that farmers with low educational level need understandable information to raise their awareness on the use of pesticides, starting from an effective assistance at purchase and in management till the disposal of empty containers. Data show that farmers undergo regular exposure risks to pesticides and traditional practices corroborate for the increase in the environmental damage and health problems.
Highlights
The development of human society has always been connected to food extraction and gathering, and subsequently to agricultural development
Research consisted of a transversal, descriptive and observation study which evaluated the exposure risk of farmers to pesticides in the municipality of Marema, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, between January and July 2009
Data reported in studies by different authors and in several places in Brazil show a non-homogenous prevalence between 2 and 24% for age range 40-49 years old (DELGADO; PAUMGARTTEN, 2004)
Summary
The development of human society has always been connected to food extraction and gathering, and subsequently to agricultural development. In the course of time, new agricultural practices became necessary and the use of artificial methods of plague control, such as the use of agrochemicals, was required (PEDLOWSKI, 2006). Brazil is one of the greatest users of pesticides in agriculture and the scenario regarding to social and economic demands is not followed by safety practices and methods. The employment of pesticides in Brazilian rural areas demands knowledge and perception on the importance of each possible contamination manner. Social authorities have not given enough attention to these problems and seem to ignore the relationship between human health and the use of pesticides. Knowledge and perception of these risks by the risk-exposed population involve the development of strategies capable of assisting and intervening on such issues (PERES et al, 2005b)
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