Poisoning and mutagenesis in rural workers: a sentinel surveillance study

This study aimed to evaluate pesticide poisoning in family farm workers during the inter-harvest (T1) and harvest (T2) periods and compare genetic mutations between exposed and unexposed individuals. The study included a non-probabilistic sample of 62 rural workers from a community in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. A control group of 20 university students was selected to compare DNA damage using the comet assay. Exposure variables were assessed through a questionnaire, while outcome variables were measured with blood samples for laboratory analysis. Cholinesterase tests were conducted to estimate poisoning levels, and the comet assay was used to detect mutagenicity in leukocytes. Descriptive analysis, univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression, and correlation analysis were performed, alongside comparisons between the outcome groups. The majority of participants (57) reported exposure to an average of 4.7 types of pesticides, with a mean of 278.2 days of pesticide contact in the past year. The percentage of participants with altered plasma cholinesterase (BChP) levels was 9.6% and 0%, and for erythrocyte cholinesterase, it was 24.1% and 24.5% for the harvest and inter-harvest periods, respectively. In the comet assay, class 2 nucleoids were observed in about 20% of the exposed population and 0% of the control group. These findings underscore the significant health impact of pesticide exposure among rural workers, as indicated by cholinesterase levels and comet assay results, when compared to the control group.