Saúde dos agricultores que utilizam agrotóxicos na produção de hortaliças na região de Altamira, Pará

Abstract

Pesticide poisoning is considered a serious public health problem, especially in developing countries. It can be acute or chronic and can cause reproductive disorders, birth defects, cancers, gene mutations, and endocrine disruption, mainly affecting people exposed in their work environment. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning based on the perceptions and practices of vegetable farmers in the region of Altamira, Pará. The research presents a descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional approach. The research was conducted in 2024, in the municipality of Altamira, Pará, and interviews were conducted with 34 farmers who grow vegetables. The farmers answered a questionnaire addressing socioeconomic and demographic aspects, health conditions, working conditions, and the use of pesticides. The organized information was converted to the Stata program, checking the data for coherence. The results were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies for sociodemographic, economic and health condition variables. Fisher's exact test was used for the outcomes with bivariate analyses. The profile of the research participants was male, brown/black, over 60 years old, with less than eight years of schooling, with a partner and with an income of one to three minimum wages. The frequency of symptoms of acute poisoning reported was weakness/fatigue/tiredness and headache, however, most farmers reported not having any symptoms. When analyzing the association between sociodemographic variables and symptoms of acute poisoning, no statistically significant associations were observed. The age distribution shows that most family farmers with up to five years of experience with agricultural pesticides are in the age group of 60 years or older. There is no significant association between income and time working with pesticides. It was found that there is low adherence to the use of PPE, especially among horticulturists over 60 years of age and with low education. We emphasize the vulnerability of horticulturists in the municipality of Altamira to the adverse effects of pesticide use, and it is of utmost importance to raise awareness among horticulturists about the risks of pesticides and the need to improve notification systems to protect their health and reduce negative impacts on the environment.