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. Over 400 active ingredients formulated in over 1200 products were registered in Brazil by 2008, when the Brazilian pesticide market was placed the highest worldwide. The country still lacks 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 second highest cause of exogenous poisoning in Brazil, accounting for approximately 10% of the over 80 000 reported cases annually. Pesticides were the cause of 48.9% of all deaths from exogenous poisoning in 2006, with the highest fatality rate among all causes (1.7%). Self-poisoning and accidental poisoning are the main circumstances involved in the reported cases, and there is no correlation between poisoning incidence and availability of pesticides in the Brazilian regions. In 2005, the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) reported 831 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 settings is 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 aldicarb.