Brazilian monitoring programs for pesticide residues in food – Results from 2001 to 2010

AbstractA total of 13,556 samples of 22 fruit and vegetable crops, rice, and beans were analyzed within two Brazilian pesticide residue monitoring programs between 2001 and 2010. Pesticide residues were found in 48.3% of the samples, and 13.2% presented some irregularity, mostly non-authorized active ingredient use. Less than 3% of the samples had residue levels above the MRL. Apple, papaya, sweet pepper and strawberry were the crops with the higher percentages of positive samples (about 80%). Dithiocarbamates and organophosphorus compounds were found in 41.6% and 30.8% of the samples, respectively. Carbendazim and chlorpyrifos were the pesticides most found (26.7 and 16.1% of positive samples, respectively). Almost half of the samples analyzed had multiple residues (up to 10 residues), with multiple residues most common in samples of apple, sweet pepper and tomato. About 8% of positive samples contained up to four residues of the same chemical class, mainly organophosphorus compounds (18.6%, mostly in apple) and triazoles (16.1%, mostly in papaya and grape). In general, the scenario of pesticide residues in foods investigated within the Brazilian governmental monitoring programs in the last decade is similar to what has been found in other countries. However, the use of non-authorized active ingredients is a common practice among the farmers in the country, a problem that the government authorities have been trying to solve. A preliminary cumulative acute exposure assessment for organophosphates and carbamates in apple has shown that the intake by individuals ≥10 years old accounts for 100% of the acephate ARfD, indicating a need to further investigate the exposure through the consumptions of other crops and group of pesticides, mainly for children

Cobalt-vitamin B-12 interrelationships in liver of fetuses and infants

mean +-SEM). The percentage of cobalt as vitamin B-12 was not affected by fetal development measured as liver weight (r = 0.08; P < 0.4). Liver weight was not significantly correlated with concentrations of either cobalt . However. the correlation between cobalt and vitamin B-12 concentrations was highly significant (r = 0.83; P < 0.000

Pesticides exposure in Culturama, Brazil-Knowledge, attitudes, and practices

Abstract In this study, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with pesticide use and exposure were evaluated in the agricultural community of Culturama, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A standardized questionnaire was completed by 250 farm workers aged X18 years old. The average age of the studied population was 43.6 years and 17.6% had never been to school. Their farms were small (approximately 30 ha) and family operated and did not utilize advanced farming technology. About 92% of the interviewees had worked directly with pesticides and 59.6% reported typical intoxication symptoms. Only 44.3%, however, believe that they had been intoxicated. A significant correlation was found between hand washing after pesticide application and reporting symptoms (P ¼ 0:014). Over 90% of the farmers reported using the organophosphorus insecticide methamidophos. A great majority (490%) considered pesticides to be harmful to human health, but less than 20% used masks, impermeable clothes, or gloves during pesticide application. These results indicate that special educational programs, legislation promoting the use of safer pesticides, and implementation of personal protective measures are necessary to decrease the pesticide exposure of farmers in Culturama.