Trabalhadores rurais: exposição a agrotóxicos e danos celulares

Abstract

Brazil stands out for its high acquisition of pesticides in order to increase agricultural productivity, controlling pests and different diseases that affect the vitality of crops used. Exposure to these compounds can have several effects on human health, with the rural workers class standing out, who are occupationally exposed to a wide range of toxic mixtures and through different exposure routes. The objective of this study was to determine, through the Comet Assay, Micronucleus Test and tests of the enzymatic activity of erythrocyte cholinesterase (AChE) and plasma cholinesterase (BChE), the damage caused by exposure to pesticides in farmers in the Northwest region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. To verify genetic damage, the techniques were associated: the Comet Assay and cholinesterase tests were performed on peripheral blood, and the Micronucleus Test (MN) with verification of nuclear abnormalities (NA) (binucleated cells and karyorrhexis) was performed on cells of the oral mucosa. A data collection instrument was also applied to verify lifestyle and possible factors of exposure to pesticides. This research consisted of 40 male participants, 20 rural workers, who are part of the Occupationally Exposed (OE) group, and 20 urban workers, who do not have direct contact with pesticides, integrating the Indirectly Exposed (IE) group. The results show a significant difference in the parameters of Comet Tail Length, % of tail DNA, Olive Moment, frequency of MN and binucleated cells (BN) between the two groups. The nuclear abnormalities of cells in karyorrhexis and the results of the activity levels of the cholinesterase enzymes AChE and BChE did not show significant differences between the two groups. Thus, the biomonitoring of rural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides has considerable relevance in the modern scenario, since the bioaccumulation of pesticide residues can impact changes in parameters related to human health.