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young workers was 15.8%, 6.8%, and 4.3%, respectively. These figures corroborate
previous studies, where children doing farm work were exposed to risks
and working stress unsuitable for their age. Although only 2.5% of workers
were over 55 years of age in the lowlands, in the mesothermal valleys, valleys,
and altiplano, this group accounted for 8.8%, 16.5%, and 12.8%, respectively.
These differences are because work in the lowlands is more difficult, because
of the extent of land cultivated, and because of the adverse climatic conditions.
The level of eduction encountered was low: only 48% of the agricultural
workers in the tropical lowlands had completed primary school. There were
12 university professionals who were not involved in community work in the
field of pesticides.
Migration from the countryside to the city, which occurs in all Latin American
countries, has been increasing in recent years because of drought. At the same
time, seasonal migration of agricultural workers from dry arid zones toward
more productive areas, such as the lowlands and mesothermal valleys, during
harvesting is becoming a regular occurrence. Of the agricultural workers
studied in the lowlands, 51.8% originally came from other areas. In the
mesothermal valleys, valleys, and altiplano, 38.6%, 17.4%, and 7.6%, respectively,
had come from other parts. This high percentage of migrants in the
eastern portion of Bolivia will be subject to other environmental risks, different
types of dwellings, food, customs, climatic factors, etc., which may reduce
their resistance and make them more susceptible to pesticide poisoning.
Previous poisonings
In the lowlands, mesothermal valleys, valleys, and altiplano, 9.6%, 10.0%,
4.5%, and 2.1% of the participants mentioned having suffered previous occupational
poisoning, confirming that the highest incidence occurs in the
mesothermal valleys and lowlands. The low figure obtained in the altiplano
and valleys suggest that the information gathered in previous years (INSO
1987; Malgarejo 1987) referred to nonoccupational poisoning.
Knowledge and methods of prevention
In the lowlands, 81.2% of those studied were not aware of the dangers of
poisoning associated with pesticide handling (Table 1). Looking at the differential
distribution, 79.4% of the directly exposed group were not aware of this
risk, 78.9% of those indirectly exposed and 92.9% of those not exposed, which
demonstrates that agrochemicals are considered harmless by most agricultural
workers. Even more serious, they are unaware of the risk they represent
to their family, plants, domestic animals, and their immediate environment.
This lack of knowledge is greater in the mesothermal valleys, valleys, and
altiplano.
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