Avaliação do impacto do uso de agrotóxicos nos trabalhadores rurais dos municípios de Ribeiro Gonçalves, Baixa Grande do Ribeiro e Uruçuí – Piauí

Abstract

The pesticides are some of the main risky factors for agricultural laborers’ health. In the state of Piauí, the agricultural expansion which was implemented in the cerrados through the growth of the soy crops in the 90’s was a relevant factor that increased the use of pesticides. The unbalanced usage of pesticides is often related to acute and chronic poisonings. The dosage of plasma cholinesterase and erythrocyte cholinesterase are relevant parameters to diagnose mainly cases in which an acute contact has occurred. The genotoxicity related to the use of these kinds of products has been studied and there are strong evidences that they are carcinogenic. Deaths which the main suspicion was poisoning by the misuse of agricultural pesticides happened in September of 2007 in the city of Ribeiro Gonçalves, state of Piauí. The fact unchained an investigation in the cities that produce soy (Uruçuí, Ribeiro Gonçalves and Baixa Grande do Ribeiro). The purpose of this study was evaluating the impact of the use of pesticides on agricultural laborer’s health in the cities of Uruçuí, Ribeiro Gonçalves and Baixa Grande do Ribeiro. The study was divided in three steps. Firstly, a social epidemiologic questionnaire Word Health Organization (WHO) was applied and samples and collected material to biochemical, hematological and enzymatic plasma acetylcholinesterase and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase analysis of 120 agricultural laborers from the region. The second step was a study of these workers. These ones submitted salf of Piauí to a second evaluation which used, as a tool, the tests which had been previously discribed. In the third step 31 individuals with irregular parameters were submitted to a micronucleus test. Cells from the oral mucosa were collected to evaluate the level of DNA injury through micronucleus counting. The results of the social epidemiologic questionnaire pointed that 100% of the subjects who had benn studied were males with an average age of 35 years old. 66% were married, 76.67% worked in farms (farmers, machinists and agricultural technicians), 16.67% worked as endemic diseases agents or civil servants. 21.3% of them used non-prescribed medication and 71.67% had not did medical tests for the last 6 months. About life and work style the investigation showed that 33.33% of the workers is smokers, 55.83% drink alcohol, 29.9% has direct contact with the pesticide while it was being prepared to be use, 38% during the pulverization process, 10% during the equipment cleaning and maintenance, 17.5% did not take any safety protection measure, while the most used only a single kind of EPI. Another related discovery about the workers showed that they used more than 34 different formulations. Insecticides (45.18%), herbicides (27.68%) and fungicides (6.21%) were the most used products. Concerning the time of exposure the workers had to the pesticides, 50.84% were exposed to them for less than 2 years and 10% for more than 10 years. The effects on the SNC detached themselves among the most related symptoms with a 230 complaints reported during the application of the social epidemiologic questionnaire. Concerning the final destination of the containers, 84.21% were burned, buried and left outdoors while 15.79% were brought to the appropriate organ headquarter. The results from the biochemical and hematological analysis indicated that 11.67%; 4.17%; 10.83%; 0.83%; 5.83%; 5% e 9.17% of the individuals who were submitted to the first sample collection had, respectively, irregular levels of Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT); Alkaline Fosfatase and Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase/ Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase; Urea; Creatinine; Proteic components; Plasma acetylcholinesterase and Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. The findings in the second step indicated that the individuals had irregular levels of: Gamma GT (4.00%); Alkaline Fosfatase and GOT/GPT (4.00%); Urea (4.00%); Creatinine (5.33%); Total Protein (17.33%); Plasma acetylcholinesterase (4.00%) and Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (2.67%). In the third step, 84.00% of the 31 subjects who had a micronucleus test presented cytogenetic injuries. The cytogenetic injuries which could be observed were not related to age, smoke, alcohol consumption; safety equipment, medications and diseases which confirms the co-relation between the presented cytogenetic injuries and the exposure to pesticides ( P<0.05).