Human intoxication biomarkers in rural workers exposed to pesticides in Brazil

Abstract

Among the occupational risks of agricultural work, the use of pesticides stands out, which are related to acute intoxications, chronic diseases and reproductive problems. Thus, studies on this theme are necessary to monitor the incidence of poisoning by the use of pesticides in rural workers. The aim of the study was to verify of the frequency of pesticide poisoning by analyzing the micronucleus of the oral mucosa of those exposed to these compounds. All study participants are male, aged between 18 and 59 years old, non-smokers, non-alcoholics and live in a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Samples of the oral mucosa were collected to analyze micronuclei from 27 farmers in the summer season, when there is intense use of pesticides. Three slides were made per individual, stained with Giemsa and analyzed under an optical microscope, counting 1000 cells per slide, making up 3000 cells per participant. Cells with micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities were counted. The data were analyzed using the statistical software R. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Fronteira Sul. As a main result, 74.0% of rural workers had more than three cells with micronuclei in 3,000 cells with significant difference compared to the control group. This evidences acute intoxication due to the use of pesticides associated with non-use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including other exposure factors. Therefore, there is a need to monitor rural workers exposed to pesticides.