Perception of Pesticide Contamination Risk in Rural Workers with Low Schooling Level

Abstract

The rural workers’ health can be directly affected by pesticides, through their use in inappropriate amounts and ways, and may have as an aggravating factor the low cognitive level of workers. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the profile of rural workers with low educational level and to evaluate their perception regarding the pesticide contamination risks. It was carried out in strawberry and tomato producing properties in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil, on which structured questionnaires were applied, with a sampling of 247 rural workers, containing questions about the perception of pesticide contamination risk, as well as other questions aiming at the characterization of the working process and the morbidity perceived by workers. Through the psychological approach, based on cognitive psychology and using standardized psychometric tests, workers were asked to assign grades on a scale to questions related to reliability, fear, safety, satisfaction and acceptance regarding the use of pesticides. The results evidenced low educational levels of workers, with 23% of them being semiliterate and 12% illiterate, which has led to the following grievances: use of family child labor, lack of use of personal protective equipment, difficulty in interpreting pesticide labels, inadequate disposal of empty packages, deposit of product in inadequate places and lack of training and capacitation. It is concluded that there is a close relationship between exposure to pesticides and the low educational level of rural workers, hampering their perception of occupational problems in the work environment, bringing serious consequences for their health and the environment.