Subject(s)
Flowers/poisoning , Thevetia/poisoning , Child, Preschool , Fatal Outcome , Female , HumansABSTRACT
O uso intensivo de agrotóxicos nas lavouras desacompanhado de políticas normativas e de controle resulta numa série de impactos sobre a saúde humana e sobre o meio ambiente. As intoxicações sofridas pelos trabalhadores rurais podem estar atreladas a vários fatores como, por exemplo, a dificuldade de compreensão das informações sobre os agrotóxicos. Uma solução seria uma assistência técnica mais eficaz e dissociada das casas comerciais, fato cada vez mais presente, acarretando o aumento no consumo desses produtos. Em alguns casos, o acesso às informações fica restrito somente à leitura de bulas e rótulos dos produtos utilizados, sendo a única fonte de comunicação de riscos existente. É um dado preocupante, já que é reconhecido o baixo nível de escolaridade dos agricultores. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de comunicação de riscos relacionado aos agrotóxicos no trabalho rural do Pólo Floricultor de Nova Friburgo/RJ, através de um estudo de recepção de informações, por parte de agricultores, referente aos rótulos e bulas dos principais agrotóxicos utilizados por eles durante o seu processo de trabalho. Através de uma abordagem qualitativa, foram aplicados questionários semi-estruturados a 29 dos 30 produtores de flores locais, avaliando o seu processo de trabalho, seus anseios e o conhecimento acerca das questões que envolvem o uso dos agrotóxicos. A análise dos dados identificou uma série de situações relacionadas com o nível de informações e a sua interpretação pelos trabalhadores; o manejo indevido atribuído ao desconhecimento dos reais riscos que estão expostos é uma delas...
The intensive use of pesticides for crop protection results in impacts on human and environmental health status, particularly when this use is not associated with normative policies and control actions. Major rural workers poisonings can be straight associatedto a number of factors, including difficulties to comprehend the available information. One of many solutions should be a more effective and independent technical assistance,dissociated with commercial interests a serious situation usually more seen and that can be pointed as one of the main determinants of pesticides use increase in the last few years. In some cases, information access is restricted to labels reading, constituting the only information resource available for a large group of rural workers. This situation is even more serious considering these professionals low formal-educational background. The present study aims to analyze pesticides risk communication process in a rural,flower-producer community of Nova Friburgo municipality, Rio de Janeiro State Brazil, through an information-reception study focusing labels reading. Through a qualitative health research approach, semi-structured questionnaires were applied to 29of the 30 local flower producers aiming to characterize local work processes, workers beliefs and perceptions, as well as to identify their ability to correctly understand pesticides labels information (visual and written). Results showed that this information is not correctly understood by workers, leading to some unsafe work practices such asinappropriate pesticides formulation and use and several exposures situations, as well as the non-adoption of protective gear. These data point the need of a more effective risk communication policy, particularly involving the community...
Subject(s)
Humans , Flowers/poisoning , Health Communication , Pesticides/toxicity , Rural Workers , Product Labeling/classification , Brazil , Rural HealthABSTRACT
This study was conducted with 3 objectives in mind: first, to identify the toxic fraction (aqueous or organic) in leaves and flowers; second, to identify diagnostic marker(s) of toxicosis in cats; and, third, to evaluate the morphologic effects of intoxication. The study was conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 was to identify which extract, organic or aqueous, was nephrotoxic and also to determine the appropriate dose for use in the phase 2 studies. Results indicated that only the aqueous extracts of leaves and flowers were nephrotoxic and pancreotoxic. To identify the proximate toxic compound, cats in the phase 2 study were orally exposed to subfractions of the aqueous flower extract, 1 subfraction per cat. Results confirmed vomiting, depression, polyuria, polydipsia, azotemia, glucosuria, proteinuria, and isosthenuria as toxic effects of the Easter lily plant. Another significant finding in serum was elevated creatinine kinase. Significant histologic kidney changes included acute necrosis of proximal convoluted tubules and degeneration of pancreatic acinar cells. Renal ultrastructural changes included swollen mitochondria, megamitochondria, edema, and lipidosis. Subfraction IIa3 of the aqueous floral extract contained most of the toxic compound(s). These studies reproduced the clinical disease, identified the most toxic fraction of the Easter lily, and helped characterize the clinical pathology, histopathology, and ultrastructural pathology associated with the disease.
