ABSTRACT
Introducción: Paraguay, con alto desarrollo de agricultura extensiva, es potencialmente vulnerable a situaciones relacionadas con manejo inadecuado, falta de prevención y riesgos para la salud individual, comunitaria y ambiental, por incumplimiento de buenas prácticas en la selección, manipulación y gestión de plaguicidas. Objetivo: Diseñar e implementar un método de vigilancia con carga de datos del sistema público para detectar, jerarquizar y mapear eventos relacionados al manejo inadecuado de plaguicidas; establecer posibles asociaciones con causas de morbilidad y mortalidad; y seguimiento para evaluar riesgos relativos. Métodos: Con la creación del Sistema de Información Georreferenciado de Evaluación de Casos de afecciones a la Salud (SIGEC), método web que recolecta información del monitoreo comunitario de manejo y posibles efectos de plaguicidas en pequeños productores y empresas agrícolas, y de parcelas de plantaciones en el territorio nacional, se realizó un estudio de vigilancia epidemiológica sobre condiciones de vida, variables ambientales y riesgo de exposición a plaguicidas. Resultados: Al relacionar datos del egreso hospitalario de enfermedades trazadoras (EH) 2011 - 2015, en mapas por Departamentos, Regiones del Estudio Piloto y por Distritos, se observó una concentración de las mismas en 3 a 4 regiones relacionadas al uso de plaguicidas, repitiéndose dicha situación en patologías con concentraciones altas (color rojo) o intermedias (color amarillo), con posible asociación casual o causal. Los demás distritos de estas regiones observadas que se encuentran coloreadas de verde, no implica ausencia de casos registrados, sino que se encuentran en el tercio inferior del total registrado (tabla a la izquierda de los mapas). La poligonización valora el grado de exposición de personas en riesgo y brinda georreferenciamiento de las variables del Monitoreo Comunitario, además permite seguimiento mediante gráficos de puntos, útiles para los tomadores de decisiones en salud. Las herramientas propuestas son amigables y similares a las del Censo Comunitario realizado por estadígrafos regionales en las USF. Conclusiones: La vigilancia epidemiológica basada en el SIGEC complementa la visión parcial de los actuales sistemas de seguimiento del MSP y BS mediante la información en gráficos georreferenciados, visualiza datos del problema de salud planteado, en un territorio específico, utiliza variables ambientales y laborales con posible relación a exposición de plaguicidas, en formato de lectura fácil, convirtiéndola en herramienta útil para el posterior seguimiento a través de investigaciones con diseño pertinente, utilizando modelos estadísticos apropiados, para la posterior aplicación de políticas públicas. Palabras-clave: Exposición a plaguicidas; vigilancia del ambiente del trabajo; monitoreo epidemiológico; programas informáticos
Introduction: Paraguay, with high development of extensive agriculture, is potentially vulnerable to situations related to inadequate management, lack of prevention and risks to individual, community and environmental health, due to non-compliance with good practices in the selection, handling and management of pesticides. Objective: Design and implement a surveillance method with data loading of the public system to detect, prioritize and map events related to the inadequate handling of pesticides; establish possible associations with causes of morbidity and mortality; and monitoring to assess relative risks. Methods: With the creation of the Georeferenced Information System for the Evaluation of Cases of Health Conditions (SIGEC), a web method that collects information on community monitoring of management and possible effects of pesticides on small producers and agricultural companies, and on plantation plots In the national territory, an epidemiological surveillance study was conducted on life conditions, environmental variables and risk of exposure to pesticides. Results: When relating hospital discharge data of tracer diseases (EH) 2011 - 2015, in maps by Departments, Regions of the Pilot Study and by Districts, a concentration of them was observed in 3 to 4 regions related to the use of pesticides, repeating this situation in pathologies with high concentrations (red color) or intermediate (yellow color), with possible causal or casual association. The other districts of these observed regions that are colored green, does not imply absence of registered cases, but they are in the lower third of the total registered (table on the left of the maps). Poligonization assesses the degree of exposure of people at risk and provides georeferencing of the Community Monitoring variables, and also allows monitoring through point charts, useful for health decision-makers. The proposed tools are friendly and similar to those of the Community Census conducted by regional statisticians at the USF. Conclusions: The epidemiological surveillance based on the SIGEC complements the partial vision of the current monitoring systems of the MSP and BS through the information in georeferenced graphs, visualizes data of the health problem raised, in a specific territory, uses environmental and labor variables with possible relation to exposure of pesticides, in easy reading format, making it a useful tool for subsequent monitoring through relevant design investigations, using appropriate statistical models, for the subsequent application of public policies. Key words: Exposure to pesticides; monitoring of the work environment; epidemiological monitoring; Software
Subject(s)
Environmental Health Surveillance , Information Technology , Pesticides , Working Conditions , Environment, ControlledABSTRACT
Lead concentrations in new enamel decorative paints were determined in three countries in different areas of the world where data were not previously available. The average total lead concentration of the enamel decorative paints purchased in Lebanon, Paraguay and Russia was 24,500ppm (ppm, dry weight), more than 270 times the current limit of 90ppm in Canada and in the United States. Sixty-three percent of these paints contained concentrations greater than 90ppm. Fifty-nine percent contained concentrations greater than 600ppm, the current limit in some countries. The maximum concentrations found were 236,000ppm in Lebanon, 169,000ppm in Paraguay and 52,900ppm in Russia. An average of 29% of the samples contained exceedingly high lead concentrations, >=10,000ppm. Five brands of paint were sampled in each of Lebanon and Paraguay and seven in Russia. Three colors from each brand were analyzed. For five of the six samples of the two brands in Lebanon with affiliations outside the country, the lead concentrations ranged from 1360ppm to 135,000ppm. In Lebanon the maximum concentration in the Egypt-affiliated brand (Sipes) was 135,000ppm and the maximum for the USA-affiliated brand (Dutch Boy) was 32,400ppm. Lead was not detected in any paints from the three of the four brands of paint purchased in Paraguay that had headquarters/affiliations in other countries (Brazil-Coralit), Germany (Suvinil) and USA (Novacor)). Two of the three paints from each of the other Paraguay brands contained high levels of lead with the maximum concentrations of 108,000 and 168,000ppm; one of these brands was manufactured under a license from ICI in the Netherlands. All of the paints purchased in Russia were from Russian brands and were manufactured in Russia. All three paints from one brand contained below detection levels of lead. The maximum levels of lead in the other six brands in Russia ranged from 3230 to 52,900ppm. The two brands with the highest lead concentration, TEKS and LAKRA, were produced by companies in the top three in market share.. Overall, lead concentrations were much higher in the colored paints such as red and yellow than in white paints. In each of the three countries a brand based in that country had a colored paint that either met a 90ppm limit or was close to meeting the limit-demonstrating that practical technology was available in each of these countries to produce low lead bright colored enamel decorative paints. Even though technology for producing paint without added lead existed in each of these countries, twenty-nine (29) percent of the paints analyzed contained exceedingly high concentrations (>=10,000ppm) of lead.
