GEO Brasil - UNEP

eassessment by North American health and environment
agencies, because it is suspected that it causes
carcinogenic, endocrine, immunotoxic and neurotoxic
effects The base substance of this product is considered
one of the most toxic substances to the ecosystem and
human health (Scorecard)
Another study carried out in an important agricultural area
in the State of Rio de Janeiro found significant levels of
anticholinesterase chemical fertiliser substances in water
samples from a river across that region Although these
results are preliminary, they reached values of up to 7680 ±
1089 µg/L (Alves 2000), and are much higher than those
recommended by the Brazilian legislation for domestic
supply water and the water used to irrigate vegetables and
fruit trees (total organophosphorate and carbarnate: 10 µg/
L) (National Council for the Environment – CONAMA
(Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente) 1996) These levels
have determined not only biota contamination, but also
favoured the area colonisation by more resistant species,
causing several effects on local ecological balance (Moreira
et al 2002)
that will manifest late in life or even in future generations
Among these pesticides, it is possible to mention, for
example, mancozeb (thyroid inhibitor in rats, goitrogenic),
maneb and metamidofos (reducer of sperm count and
viability) (Coco 2002) An epidemiological study carried out
from data collected from 11 Brazilian states, establishing
the relation of pesticide sales in 1985 and human
reproductive disorders observed in the 90’s, show a positive
association and suggest a co-relation between both factors
(Koifman et al 2002)
the state of the environment in Brazil
It is important to highlight that agricultural activity, which
is near large centres, is mostly small and notably familybased,
where adults and children work helping each other
Usually, agricultural families also live in the surrounding
areas of plantations That makes children, young people
and women of fertile age also subject to a high risk of
contamination This is a serious situation due to little
available knowledge on the effects of a continuous and
multiple exposure to those substances on a human
organism Today it is known that several chemical fertiliser
products are suspected of having carcinogenic or hormonal
effects
The involvement of young people and children in work and
the fact that most families live in the proximity of cultivation
areas make exposure via environment easy and make
women – in all life stages – and children, even before birth,
continuously exposed to those chemical agents Moreira et
al (2002) report the contamination of 17 per cent of young
workers and children (ages 7-17) by anticholinesterase
pesticides (organophosphorate and carbarnate) in an
agricultural region in the State of Rio de Janeiro, evidencing
the seriousness of this problem Such scenario is of even
more concern when it is known that several pesticides of
these and other classes, used likewise in the Brazilian rural
environment, are suspected of producing endocrine effects
This globalised type technological model is characterised
by the logic of risk transfer from North countries to South
countries In the 70’s, whilst the 1 st World Conference on
Environment and Development was discussed in
Stockholm, Brazil received the transfer of chemical
industries, considered highly pollutant in their origin
countries Cubatão (State of São Paulo), for example, was
internationally famous due to its intense environmental
pollution and the resulting harm on human health This
environmental contamination resulted in a large number of
congenital malformation, intoxication cases by occupation
exposure to Benzene and organochlorine products and the
large number of hospitalisations due to respiratory diseases
(Augusto 1992 and 1994)
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