Análise do potencial genotóxico do uso de pesticidas por agricultores do sudoeste do Paraná

Abstract

In Brazil, as in other countries, agriculture has evolved over the years, due to the need to increase food production in the world. With the progress of agriculture after the "Green Revolution", agricultural producers needed to modernize their practices, through the mechanization of land and mainly through the use of pesticides. The diversity of chemicals for pest control in agriculture is enormous, and farmers are constantly exposed to them. The problem is that often different products are used at the same time, spraying is done without Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and farmers end up occupationally exposed to these substances. The present work sought to verify the occurrence of genetic damages in farmers exposed occupationally to agrochemicals in comparison with people from other professions that did not use toxic substances (control group). The study was carried out with 36 volunteers, 18 farmers and 18 people from the control group. Comet assay and Micronucleus test techniques were used, which verified a higher rate of genetic damage in the group formed by the farmers when compared to the control group. In addition, through a questionnaire it was possible to verify that PPE is used incorrectly and that up to ten pesticide applications are carried out per year. Based on the data obtained, it was verified that the farmers are at occupational risk. Faced with this risk, an awareness campaign was carried out, which sought to inform farmers about the risks involved, as well as the importance of the correct use of PPE.