Armando Meyer

Avaliação integrada do impacto do uso de agrotóxicos sobre a saúde humana em uma comunidade agrícola de Nova Friburgo, RJ

O impacto do uso de agrotoxicos sobre a saude humana e um problema que tem merecido atencao da comunidade cientifica em todo o mundo, sobretudo nos paises em desenvolvimento. O consumo de agrotoxicos na regiao sudeste do Brasil esta estimado em 12kg de agrotoxico/trabalhador/ano. Em algumas areas agricolas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, como na regiao da Microbacia do Corrego de Sao Lourenco, Nova Friburgo, o consumo de agrotoxico foi estimado em 56kg de agrotoxico/trabalhador/ano. Elevados niveis de contaminacao humana e ambiental foram encontrados nesta regiao, como decorrencia do uso extensivo destes agentes quimicos. A avaliacao do impacto sobre a saude humana implica o conhecimento e a visualizacao da importância/magnitude relativa de cada uma das vias de contaminacao. Inumeros fatores, que, em geral, encontram-se inter-relacionados, contribuem para a situacao encontrada na Microbacia do Corrego de Sao Lourenco e a forma mais adequada de se avaliar toda a dimensao deste problema e o uso de uma abordagem integrada.

Influência de fatores socioeconômicos na contaminaçäo por agrotóxicos, Brasil

OBJETIVO: A elevada utilizacao de agrotoxicos, sem os cuidados necessarios, tem contribuido para a degradacao ambiental e o aumento das intoxicacoes ocupacionais, sendo um dos principais problemas de saude publica no meio rural brasileiro. O objetivo do trabalho e avaliar a exposicao de um grupo de trabalhadores da area rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro a agrotoxicos anticolinesterasicos, atraves das atividades da acetilcolinesterase eritrocitaria (AChE) e da butirilcolinesterase plasmatica (BChE), e o impacto de alguns indicadores socioeconomicos e de utilizacao de agrotoxicos sobre a contaminacao humana. METODOS: Para a avaliacao da exposicao de 300 agricultores residentes em cinco comunidades do distrito de Mage, RJ, uma amostra aleatoria de 55 trabalhadores foi selecionada e determinadas as atividades individuais de acetilcolinesterase eritrocitartia (AChE) e butirilcolinesterase plasmatica (BChE). As atividades enzimaticas foram avaliadas segundo o metodo de Ellman modificado por Oliveira-Silva. Dados socioeconomicos e de utilizacao de agrotoxicos para cada trabalhador da amostra foram obtidos em entrevista estruturada. O possivel papel dos indicadores socioeconomicos e de uso de agrotoxicos sobre o nivel de contaminacao dos trabalhadores foi estimado por analise de regressao linear multipla, utilizando-se a atividade enzimatica como variavel dependente e os indicadores socioeconomicos e de uso de agrotoxicos como variaveis independentes. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSOES: Os dados obtidos mostraram resultados distintos em relacao a incidencia da exposicao excessiva, de acordo com o indicador enzimatico utilizado. No grupo de trabalhadores, 3,6% (2) foram identificados pelos resultados de BChE e 41,8% (23) pela AChE, sendo considerados intoxicados individuos com pelo menos um dos indicadores positivos. A avaliacao desses dados frente aos indicadores socioeconomicos e de utilizacao de agrotoxicos, destaca a importância do nivel de escolaridade sobre a prevalencia das intoxicacoes. Para os demais determinantes estudados, nenhuma correlacao significativa foi tao evidente.

Human reproductive system disturbances and pesticide exposure in Brazil

The observation of reproductive disturbances in humans and in the wildlife has been reported in the last decade in different countries. Exposure to different chemicals possibly acting in the endocrine system or endocrine disruptors, including pesticides, has been a hypothesis raised to explain the observed changes. This paper aimed to present results of an epidemiological ecologic study carried out to explore population data on pesticides exposure in selected Brazilian states in the eighties and human reproductive outcomes in the nineties. Pearson correlation coefficients were ascertained between available data pesticides sales in eleven states in Brazil in 1985 and selected further reproductive outcomes or their surrogates. Moderate to high correlations were observed to infertility, testis, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer mortality. Despite the restrains of ecologic studies to establish cause-effect relationships, the observed results are in agreement with evidence supporting a possible association between pesticides exposure and the analyzed reproductive outcomes.

Cancer mortality among agricultural workers from Serrana Region, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

One of the proposed hypotheses to explain the higher incidence of specific-site cancers among agricultural workers is their higher exposure to pesticides. The role of pesticide exposure in morbidity and mortality profiles in Brazil is not well known. Therefore, in order to contribute to increase knowledge on this subject, an ecological analysis aiming to investigate cancer mortality among agricultural workers in an important agricultural area of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, was performed. All causes of death for male workers 30-69 years old provided by the National Mortality Information System between 1979 and 1998 were evaluated. To estimate cancer mortality risks of selected sites, mortality odds ratio (MOR) was employed, and three reference populations were used. Higher mortality of esophagus, stomach, and larynx cancer in agricultural workers 50-69 years old was observed in the period from 1979 to 1988 and of esophagus and stomach cancer from 1989 to 1998. Agricultural workers 30-49 years old showed higher, but not statistically significant, mortality by stomach, esophagus, liver, testis, and prostate cancer, and soft-tissue sarcoma in the period of 1979-1988, and by testis and penis cancer, leukemia, and soft-tissue sarcoma in the period of 1989-1998. Despite the limitations of ecological approaches concerning causality ascertainment, we believe that this study raises questions of the possible role of pesticide exposure on the cancer mortality profile among Brazilian agricultural workers.

Exposição múltipla a agrotóxicos e efeitos à saúde: estudo transversal em amostra de 102 trabalhadores rurais, Nova Friburgo, RJ

Um estudo transversal foi realizado em uma comunidade agricola localizada em Nova Friburgo, RJ, para conhecer os aspectos epidemiologicos, clinicos e laboratoriais da exposicao multipla a agrotoxicos em uma amostra representativa de 102 pequenos agricultores, de ambos os sexos. Os trabalhadores foram submetidos a um extenso protocolo que incluia aplicacao de questionario ocupacional, coleta de amostras biologicas para exame toxicologico e avaliacao clinica - geral e neurologica. Os resultados dos exames toxicologicos revelaram episodios leves a moderados de intoxicacao aguda aos organofosforados descritos pelos agricultores ou observados durante o exame clinico. Foram tambem diagnosticados 13 (12,8 %) quadros de neuropatia tardia e 29 (28,5%) quadros de sindrome neurocomportamental e disturbios neuropsiquiatricos associados ao uso cronico de agrotoxicos. Os resultados apontam para a ocorrencia de episodios recorrentes de sobre-exposicao multipla, a elevadas concentracoes de diversos produtos quimicos, com grave prejuizo para as funcoes vitais desses trabalhadores, especialmente por se encontrarem em uma faixa etaria jovem (media = 35 ± 11anos) e periodo produtivo da vida. Estes dados demonstram a importância do monitoramento da multipla exposicao a agrotoxicos, uma cadeia de eventos de grande repercussao na saude publica e para o meio ambiente.

Estarão alguns grupos populacionais brasileiros sujeitos à ação de disruptores endócrinos

Several chemical substances suspected of endocrine disruption are currently being used in industrial and agricultural activities in Brazil. This paper presents analytical data showing contamination of some population groups by these substances. Virtually nothing is known about the related health effects, highlighting the need to implement a national program to evaluate such impacts.

Limites de aplicabilidade da determinação do ácido delta-aminolevulínico urinário como teste screening na avaliação da intoxicação profissional pelo chumbo

The relationship between concentrations of ALA-U and Pb-S for two groups of workers is reported. The first group consisted of workers from a telephone company, and the second, of workers from battery factories with average Pb-S equivalent to 17.3 (g/dl (6.2-39.4) and 61.5 (g/dl (41.1-91.0), respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization of ALA-U levels as a screening test for different levels of lead in blood by means of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and of spectrophotometry. A significant correlation was found between measured ALA and levels of blood lead (R = 0.739 - first group; R = 0.902 - second group; p < 0.001). The validity of ALA-U test to evaluate different levels of lead in blood was also studied. By using ALA levels of 3mg/g creatinine as a threshold to detect levels of lead in blood equal to or higher than 20 (g/dl, the test results, for the workers in the first group, showed sensibility of 92% and specificity of 90%. In both groups, the false positives as well the false negatives were lower than 10% which was enough to validate the test.The relationship between concentrations of ALA-U and Pb-S for two groups of workers is reported. The first group consisted of workers from a telephone company, and the second, of workers from battery factories with average Pb-S equivalent to 17,3 µg/dl (6,2-39,4) and 61,5 µg/dl (41,1-91,0), respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization of ALA-U levels as a screening test for different levels of lead in blood by means of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and of spectrophotometry. A significant correlation was found between measured ALA and levels of blood lead (R = 0,739 - first group; R = 0,902 - second group; p < 0,001). The validity of ALA-U test to evaluate different levels of lead in blood was also studied. By using ALA levels of 3 mg/g creatinine as a threshold to detect levels of lead in blood equal to or higher than 20 µg/dl, the test results, for the workers in the first group, showed sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 90%. In both groups, the false positives as well as the false negatives were lower than 10%, which was enough to validate the test.

Suicide mortality among agricultural workers in a region with intensive tobacco farming and use of pesticides in Brazil.

Objective:To investigate whether suicide risk among agricultural workers is higher in regions with heavier pesticide use and/or presence of tobacco farming. Methods:Suicide mortality data were gathered from residents of the Brazilian state of Alagoas. Agricultural census data were used to arrange and classify Alagoas cities into distribution groups on the basis of variables concerning pesticide use and/or tobacco farming. Mortality odds ratio calculations were then used to compare suicide risk among agricultural and nonagricultural workers in different groups. Results:Suicide risk was higher among agricultural workers than among nonagricultural workers, elevated in regions that used more pesticides, and greatest in regions that produced more tobacco. Conclusions:This is one of the first studies of its kind to suggest that combined effects of pesticide and tobacco exposure may be linked to higher suicide risk among agricultural workers.