Avaliação de risco ambiental e exposição humana do uso de agrotóxicos na mesorregião sul do Amazonas

Abstract

The use of pesticides has become increasingly frequent in Brazilian agricultural production, a fact that has placed the country in the top positions of the largest consumers of chemical products in the world. This increase follows the expansion of agribusiness in agricultural frontier areas, located mainly in the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, Bahia, Rondônia and Amazonas. In addition to deforestation, IBGE data point to an increase in the consumption of pesticides in these states. In Amazonas, the consumption rate of pesticides increased by about 677% between 2000 and 2018, in addition to these factors the increase in the number of cases of agricultural poisoning in the state. Therefore, the main objective of the thesis was to evaluate the use of pesticides in the south of Amazonas, characterizing the environmental and human health risks caused by these products in the region. The population studied was that of pesticide applicators, residing in the municipalities of Apuí, Boca do Acre, Lábrea, Humaitá and Manicoré. 89 interviews were carried out in the years 2020 and 2021. The Spearmean Rho test and the Cochran test were carried out to determine the correlation between health and environmental protection behavior with determinant variables such as age, education, income, reading labels and technical assistance. To calculate the occupational exposure of farmers, the algorithm of Dosemeci et al., (2002) and the OHRI indicator determined by Bergkvist, (2004) were used. The environmental risk assessment was performed using the PRIMET model (Pesticide Risk in the Tropics to Man, Environment and trade) version 3.0. Twenty-two types of active ingredients were found, with the predominant use of Glyphosate, Difenoconazole, Thiamethoxam and Chlorpyrifos. Although 88% of respondents reported that pesticides cause damage to health, most of them use PPE incompletely or do not use any form of protection, store pesticides improperly, dispose of packaging incorrectly and do not receive technical guidance. Most of the farmers showed risk behavior related to health care. Farmers' behavior in relation to health protection is related to income and label reading. And behavior related to the environment, with income, gender and technical assistance. Male producers have higher cumulative exposures than females and older farmers aged 51 to 60 years are more cumulatively exposed than younger ones. Most pesticides used in the surveyed municipalities present risk scenarios in the evaluated environmental compartments and half of them are not approved for use in the European Union because they are considered harmful to the environment and humans. It is essential to implement public policies aimed at raising awareness and educating producers, with programs that encourage good agricultural practices to reduce exposure and more sustainable agricultural policies in the use of pesticides in the region that contribute to reducing risk to health and the environment.