Impact of the use of pesticides by rural workers in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is the third largest market and the eighth largest consumer of pesticidesper hectare in the world, with herbicides and insecticides accounting for 60%of the products traded in the country. The use of pesticides has increasedworldwide in the last decades, which may represent a risk for several diseasesin humans, including cancer. Although in Brazil the research on the impactof the use of pesticides on human health has grown in recent years, it is stillinsufficient to really know the real dimension of health damage caused mainlyby occupational and food exposure, due to the intensive use of pesticides.This article aims to review the use of pesticides by rural workers in Brazil,highlighting the importance of preventive measures for their health.