Pesticides, health outcomes and agroecology in Brazil: a scope review

ABSTRACT

The present scope review aimed to highlight the profile of Brazilian research that investigates health outcomes caused by exposure to pesticides, seeking to understand the main findings, such as methodology used, type of substance, health outcomes, investigated locations, suggested actions, and dialogue with agroecology. The scoping review methodology was used, following the Prisma-ScR model. Among the 83 articles found in the review, 61 studied farmers and 22 studied other population groups. There was a predominance of primary and quantitative studies, followed by systematic reviews. Of the total, 79 articles found outcomes, with emphasis on hematological and genetic damage, mostly caused by poisoning by more than 1 pesticide. The largest number of studies were carried out in the South, followed by the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and North. Only 1 survey suggested the agroecological transition as a solution to the problem. It is concluded that, faced with a scenario of growth in the use of pesticides, it is urgent to have proposals for intersectoral actions and that do not involve only health education or the health sector in isolation, as most articles suggest, requiring articulation between sectors related to agriculture, supply, education, health, and the environment.

KEYWORDS
Agroecology; Pesticides; Intoxication; Health research evaluation; Risk to human health; Evaluation of health research