EFFECT OF PESTICIDES ON THE HEALTH OF FARMERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Pesticides are chemical products used in agriculture to control pests and their extensive use represents a serious threat to health. The objective of the study was to systematically analyze the available evidence on the main damage caused by pesticides in the health of farmers. A systematic review was carried out applying the PRISMA technique. The ScienceDirect, Scielo and PubMed databases were used as search engines. The following search filter was used: that the publication date is between 2014 and 2022, only scientific articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were considered. The search keywords were: “pesticides”, “exposure”, “farmers” and “health”. In the 50 selected scientific articles, it was found that the most prevalent diseases were the following: Parkinson's, motor and neurobehavioral damage, cancer, genetic damage, sleep disturbances, hematological damage, and general symptoms such as respiratory problems, skin irritation, and pain. headache, sore throat, and nausea. The evidence found has shown that pesticides have acute, chronic, and long-term effects on the health of farmers. On the other hand, the identification of risk factors associated with the use of pesticides will serve as the basis for the design of timely and effective interventions.