Abstract
ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE:To explore the association of occupational pesticide exposure with acute and mental health symptoms.METHODS:Cross-sectional survey carried out with 78 Brazilian family farmers, who were pesticide applicators and helpers conveniently selected. Symptoms and exposure data were collected by interviews, and mental health outcomes by the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. Blood samples were analyzed to assess cholinesterase levels. Exposure indicators and symptoms were compared between applicators and helpers, and Poisson regression was performed to estimate prevalence ratios.RESULTS:Farmers reported exposure to multiple pesticides from early ages; they worked without safety training, technical support, and full protective equipment, and they had a high prevalence of acute and mental health symptoms (e.g., headache, mucosal irritation, tachycardia, and depressive signs). Applicators had more cholinesterase changes than helpers, but less symptoms. Helpers used less personal protection and had significantly higher prevalence ratio of headache, dyspnea, wheezing, cough, poor digestion, tiredness, and feeling worthless, after adjustment.CONCLUSIONS:Acute and mental health symptoms were observed, both among farmers and helpers. Thus, surveillance actions must be reinforced in Brazil, technical support and safety training improved, focused on applicators and helpers, who are occupationally and environmentally exposed to pesticides. Agricultural practices of these groups with less pesticide use should receive incentive.
Highlights
Excessive and unsafe use of pesticides represents a serious risk to human health, environment, and quality of food
Most participants started to help in crop activities at early ages, lived up to 1km from crop areas, never had technical support or safety training to work with pesticides, and they were domestically exposed to pesticides by using them for household pest control or having contact with contaminated clothes or equipment
Our study shows that smallholder family farmers in São José de Ubá (SJU) were occupationally and environmentally exposed to pesticides from an early age, lived near crops, worked without safety training, technical support and full recommended protective equipment (PPE), and had a considerable number of acute and mental health symptoms
Summary
Excessive and unsafe use of pesticides represents a serious risk to human health, environment, and quality of food. In LMIC, the occupational exposure to pesticides has been associated with gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, respiratory, allergic, and nervous effects[3,4,5,6], and common mental disorders (CMD) such as depression, anxiety, and suicide[7,8,9]. These adverse effects are not restricted to LMIC, and occupational exposure to pesticides was associated with health outcomes in high-income countries such as the USA, England, South Korea, and Spain[10,11]. Depression and anxiety affect, respectively, 5.8% and 9.3% of the Brazilian population, more than 4.4% and 3.6% affected worldwide[15]
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