Volney de Magalhaes Camara

Strategies for Preventing Adolescent Mercury Exposure in Brazilian Gold Mining Areas

Because gold is found in a powdered form, the use of mercury is necessary to form a mercury/ gold amalgam to make the extraction easier, normally at a 1/1 proportion. Thus for each kilogram of gold, an average of one kilogram of mercury is used. This proportion may vary from 0.8-1.3 (Pfeiffer, 1988; Couto, Camara and Sabrosa, 1988; Ferreira and Appel, 1990). In 1989 alone, mercury imports reached 339.9 tons (Hasse, 1993).

A Systematic Review of Children's Environmental Health in Brazil

In the region of the Americas, approximately 100,000 children under the age of 5 years die each year due to environmental hazards. Brazil, due to its large size and wide range of environmental challenges, presents numerous hazards to childrens health. The aim of this study was to systematically review the scientific literature that describes childrens exposures to environmental pollutants in Brazil and their effects on Brazilian childrens health. A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed without language restrictions and time of publication (years). The literature search was conducted in the following key resources: PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and Web of Science with the MeSH Terms: Environmental exposure AND Brazil (filters: Human, Child [birth to 18 years] and Affiliation Author). The Virtual Health Library was also employed to access the databases Scielo and Lilacs. The search strategy was [DeCS Terms]: Child OR adolescent AND Environmental exposure AND Brazil. Health effects in children associated with exposure to environmental pollutants in Brazil were reported in 74 studies, during the period between 1995 and 2015. The most frequently cited effect was hospital admission for respiratory causes including wheezing, asthma, and pneumonia among children living in areas with high concentrations of air pollutants. A broad spectrum of other health effects possibly linked to pollutants also was found such as prematurity, low birth weight, congenital abnormality (cryptorchidism, hypospadia, micropenis), poor performance in tests of psychomotor and mental development, and behavioral problems. Exposure to pesticides in utero and postnatally was associated with a high risk for leukemia in children <2 years old. These results show that there is a need in Brazil for stricter monitoring of pollutant emissions and for health surveillance programs especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and young children.

Common mental disorders among civil aviation pilots.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suspected cases of common mental disorders (CMD) on Brazilian civil aviation pilots and to investigate associations between CMD, demographics, and labor variables. METHODS A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 807 working pilots between October 2009 and October 2010 using a self-administered questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic data and information about workload. CMD prevalence was estimated with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 items (SRQ-20). Multiple logistic regression was used in statistical data analyses. RESULTS The overall prevalence of CMD was 6.7% with the cutoff point of 8 used in this study, i.e., scores greater than or equal to 8 in SRQ-20 define positive cases. Using alternative cutoffs, the prevalence was 9.2% (cut off point 7) or 12% (cutoff point 6). Among the individuals who did not exercise, 10.2% presented suspected CMD. Among those with a heavy workload, 23.7% presented scores indicating suspected CMD. Only variables relating to workload and the practice of physical activity were significantly correlated with the estimate of CMD after multivariate analysis. Regular physical exercise afforded a possible protective effect against suspected cases of CMD, while there was a higher prevalence of suspected cases among subjects with heavy workloads. DISCUSSION The inclusion of the topic of mental health among the targets and priorities of civil aviation in Brazil is imperative. Addressing issues such as the regular practice of physical activity and workload can contribute to achieving a better balance between flight safety and productivity.

Common Mental Disorders Among Civil Aviation Flight Attendants

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among Brazilian civil aviation flight attendants and to investigate associations between CMDs and sociodemographic and work-related variables. METHODS This was a quantitative cross-sectional study conducted between October 2009-October 2010 using a self-reporting questionnaire about sociodemographic and work-related data and a screening instrument for the detection of psychiatric morbidity. RESULTS A total of 453 flight attendants were evaluated. The prevalence of CMDs was found to be 29.8% (N = 135/453; 95% CI 25.7-34.10%). Female flight attendants presented higher prevalence (36.0%) than male flight attendants (19.7%). The prevalence among individuals who had completed their training more than 5 yr earlier was 35.7% versus 19.2% among those who had qualified less than 5 yr earlier. In the final adjusted model, only the following variables maintained a statistically significant association: sex (OR 2.83); regular physical activity practice (OR 1.68); time since completion of training (OR 2.56); involvement with religious belief (OR 1.66); and type of flight route (OR 1.71). DISCUSSION Flight attendants are subjected to stressful situations determined both by specific occupational risks and by the form of work organization. Studies with civil aviation pilots found lower values for CMD prevalence (6.7%). This shows that although both categories are classified as aircrew members and share various similarities of occupational risks, they are also, at the same time, profoundly different regarding their professional profiles.

Positive correlation between pesticide sales and central nervous system and cardiovascular congenital abnormalities in Brazil

Abstract Background: This study investigated the association between pesticide exposure in Brazil (2005–2013) with rates of central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular system (CVS) congenital abnormalities in 2014. Method: An exposure variable was established from data on production and sales of pesticides (kg) per crop area (ha) for 2012 and 2013 years. The Brazilian states were divided into three categories: high, medium, and low pesticide use and rate ratios were estimated for each group of states (CI: 95 %). Results: In 2013 and 2014, the high use group presented a 100 and a 75 % increase, and the medium group a 65 and 23 % increase, respectively, in the risk of CNS and CVS congenital abnormalities at birth, compared to the low use group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that pesticide exposure could be associated with increased risk of congenital malformations at birth in Brazil.

Development of Environmental Health Indicators for the Child Population: Report on a Brazilian Experience

BACKGROUND This report presents the Brazilian experience on the elaboration of a matrix of childrens environmental health indicators to the Brazilian Health Surveillance System. This experience was part of a project with the financial support of the Ministry of Health of Brazil to develop appropriate indicators for identification, measuring, and monitoring of the environmental risk factors to the childrens health. METHODS The methodology adopted for the development of the matrix of indicators of childrens environmental health to Brazil comprised 3 steps. In the first step, the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian population, aged 0-14 years, were identified, according to the data available from the Ministry of Health. The second step consisted of the identification of the Brazilian public-access information systems, with available official data regarding environmental, health, and socioeconomic conditions. In the third step, a preliminary matrix was elaborated. Correlation analyses were done to determine the indicators that would constitute the final matrix. FINDINGS The selected indicators allowed the identification and surveillance of cancer, injuries, adverse birth outcomes, diarrheic and respiratory diseases, associated with environmental risk factors, in the Brazilian child population. The existing Brazilian official information systems provided data with the necessary quality for the construction of childrens environmental health indicators. Nevertheless, some official systems on health information presented limitations related to the data availability over the course of time and timeliness of data capture. Concerning the environmental information, the major limitation was accessibility. CONCLUSIONS A matrix of indicators of childrens environmental health to Brazil can come to contribute to the implementation of a surveillance system of childrens exposure to environmental contaminants in Brazil.