Pesticides and public health in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is one of the world's top-four agricultural pesticide–consuming countries. The extensive use of pesticides raises concerns about the consequences for the human health. This review appraised the evidence provided by epidemiological studies on the adverse health effects of pesticides conducted in Brazil within the past 2–4 years. Available data come from ecological, cross-sectional, and case–control studies which are relatively easy, quick, and inexpensive to conduct but of limited usefulness for inferring causation and to identify hazards in pesticide risk assessment. Inaccurate exposure assessment is another weakness common to these studies. No longitudinal cohort investigation of pesticide adverse health effects and no analytical data–based biomonitoring study were found in the literature. In conclusion, studies conducted in Brazil failed to generate data relevant for risk assessment and management of pesticides. Large prospective cohorts studies and good analytical data on exposures are needed to bridge this public health research gap.