Pesticide Poisoning in Brazil

Abstract

Pesticide poisoning has become a major public health problem in some developing countries, mainly due to the accidental or intentional ingestion and the unsafe use of pesticide products during occupational activities. By January 2016, 457 active ingredients, including insect pheromones and biopesticides (about 60), formulated in 1798 products were registered in Brazil; the country has been ranking among the top three pesticide markets worldwide in the last 10 years. However, Brazil still lacks a sound and unified pesticide poisoning data and the available data are known to be highly underestimated. According to the National Poisoning Information System (SINITOX), pesticide is the third highest cause of exogenous poisoning in Brazil, accounting for about 7–11% of the reported cases annually from 2000 to 2012. Self-poisoning and accidental poisoning were the main circumstances involved in the reported cases, and there was no correlation between poisoning incidence and pesticide use in the Brazilian regions. From 2000 to 2012, the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) reported 10,666 fatalities after pesticide poisoning in the country, mainly after self-poisoning. The organophosphate insecticides are the main pesticides involved in the poisoning cases in rural Brazil. Poisoning in urban sets are mostly due to accidental or self-poisoning with the rodenticide chumbinho, an illegal product freely sold in Brazilian cities, prepared from registered pesticide products, mostly organophosphates and carbamates.