Evaluation of occupational exposure to organophosphate pesticides in flower greenhouses

• Grant number: 08/09137-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2009
• End date: March 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Toxicological Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Yonamine
• Grantee: Mauricio Yonamine
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The pesticides include a wide range of chemicals used to control the population of insects as well as the emergence of diseases in plants. On the workplace, individuals are often exposed to various pesticides or mixtures of different pesticides simultaneously or in series. The application of pesticides, without the use of personal protection equipment (PPE), can cause poisoning, in addition to the development of various diseases due to chronic exposure. Estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that about 1 million people are poisoned accidentally every year and 2 million people are hospitalized due to the voluntary ingestion of pesticides. The reasons for the high rates of exposure to pesticides, especially in developing countries include the lack of an effective system of laws, little information on labels of containers containing pesticides, lack of guidance and insufficient knowledge of risk factors posed by pesticides, besides the high costs of PPE. Additionally, the use of larger amount of more toxic pesticides occurs because of low prices of these compounds in retail. Some studies have been evaluating occupational exposure to indoor pesticides, specifically the occupational exposure in greenhouses. In greenhouses, any infestation is controlled using chemicals that, due to adjustments and keeping the conditions of climate, can prolong and intensify the occupational exposure - the weather conditions are designed to optimize the growth of the plant, not necessarily to protect the worker's health. Some studies suggest that employees of flowers and ornamental plants greenhouses are exposed to higher levels of pesticides during loading, mixing and application of pesticides as well as the continuous contact with the flowers and ornamental plants, when compared to other workers who enter in touch with this class of compounds. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, cultivation of flowers is an activity that employs about 125,000 workers in the country. The Brazilian market of flowers and ornamental plants generate approximately $ 1 billion and is growing 20% a year. Exports of the sector accumulated US$ 17.3 million in the first half of 2007, according to data from the Bureau of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC-SECEX). The growth was made from 5.4% in the same period in 2006. The State of Sao Paulo is the largest producer of flowers in Brazil, accounting for 60% of national production. The cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants occupies 4000 acres, 56% of the area cultivated in greenhouses. In order to meet the growing demand for large quantities and high-quality products, the number of protected harvests (greenhouses) has grown 15% a year for the past 5 years. Despite the economic importance of this activity, there are no specific guidelines for use of pesticides in protected environments (greenhouses). Moreover, data relating to the practices of Labor Safety and Health (OSH), related to the use of pesticides in greenhouses for flowers, are very scarce. Depending on the framework described above, this project aims to assess working conditions, locate possible sources of exposure and quantify the potential exposure to organophosphates in greenhouses of flowers at the poles of production in the state of Sao Paulo. To that end, it is planned to develop and validate analytical methods to determine organophosphate pesticides in such environments and in biological samples in order to collect important data to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the degree of exposure of workers to these agents. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RIBEIRO, MARCELA G.; COLASSO, CAMILLA G.; MONTEIRO, PAULA P.; PEDREIRA FILHO, WALTER R.; YONAMINE, MAURICIO. Occupational safety and health practices among flower greenhouses workers from Alto Tiete region (Brazil). Science of The Total Environment, v. 416, p. 121-126, FEB 1 2012. (08/09137-0)