Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on pesticide application among farmworkers from communities in western Catamarca Province, Argentina

ENZO E. RAIMONDO; STEFANIE B. COSTA GUTIERREZ; SUSANA E. CABRERA; CLAUDIA S. BENIMELI

Nova Scientia

Scielo

Año: 2022

Introduction:Unsafe management practices and overuse of pesticides have led to environmentalcontamination and farmworkers poisoning. For this reason, the problem of pesticideexposure must be framed in the socio-cultural and environmental context of theaffected communities, analyzing the factors that contribute to the greater riskof exposure of farmworkers and their families, in order to propose educationalstrategies and develop effective public health strategies. This study evaluatedthe knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding local pesticides handling offarmworkers from Singuil town, Catamarca province, northwestern Argentina, andthe possible impact of these behavioural patterns on Singuil River.Method: Farmworkers from Singuil town participatedthrough a cross-sectional, face-to-face survey. Subsequently, samples fromSinguil River were taken for determination of pesticides residues.Results: All interviewees were males, with an averageage of 44.6 years, and have at least primary-level education. Nearly 83% ofthem have worked with pesticides for more than 10 years. Although most workersprepare their pesticide formulations, 25% of them never use any personalprotective equipment, while the remaining 75% usually use face masks and glovesto protect themselves. Post-spraying personal hygiene practices, such aschanging clothes or showering, are often not applied. To reduce health risks,many respondents perform sprinkling at sunset (66.7%) or early morning (50%),and avoid it during windy and sunny weather. Besides, they usually burn (58.3%)or stockpile (41.7%) empty pesticide containers. In case of poisoning, 91.7% ofworkers would go to hospital for medical attention. Glyphosate, mancozeb, andpropamocarb are the most commonly used pesticides. Finally, no pesticide residueswere detected in the water samples collected from Singuil River.Conclusion: This study highlights a lack of knowledge onthe correct handling of pesticides and containers among the surveyedfarmworkers. Effective training programs on safe practices should be developedto improve awareness of workers and reduce their risks of exposure topesticides.