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. 2023 Feb 22:11:1130893.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1130893. eCollection 2023.

Monitoring residues of pesticides in food in Brazil: A multiscale analysis of the main contaminants, dietary cancer risk estimative and mechanisms associated

Juliana Maria Bitencourt de Morais Valentim  1 , Tatiane Renata Fagundes  2 , Mariane Okamoto Ferreira  3 , Pâmela Lonardoni Micheletti  3 , Geise Ellen Broto Oliveira  3 , Milena Cremer Souza  1 , Beatriz Geovana Leite Vacario  1 , Janaína Carla da Silva  4 , Thalita Basso Scandolara  5 , Shaiane Carla Gaboardi  3   6 , Luciano Zanetti Pessoa Candiotto  3 , Juliana Mara Serpeloni  1 , Fábio Rodrigues Ferreira Seiva  1   2 , Carolina Panis  1   3
Affiliations

Monitoring residues of pesticides in food in Brazil: A multiscale analysis of the main contaminants, dietary cancer risk estimative and mechanisms associated

Juliana Maria Bitencourt de Morais Valentim et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Pesticides pose a risk for cancer development and progression. People are continuously exposed to such substances by several routes, including daily intake of contaminated food and water, especially in countries that are highly pesticide consumers and have very permissive legislation about pesticide contamination as Brazil. This work investigated the relationship among pesticides, food contamination, and dietary cancer risk.

Methods: Analyzed two social reports from the Brazilian Government: the Program for Analysis of Residues of Pesticides in Food (PARA) and The National Program for Control of Waste and Contaminants (PNCRC).

Results and discussion: First, we characterized the main pesticide residues detected over the maximum limits allowed by legislation or those prohibited for use in food samples analyzed across the country. Based on this list, we estimated the dietary cancer risks for some of the selected pesticides. Finally, we searched for data about dietary cancer risks and carcinogenic mechanisms of each pesticide. We also provided a critical analysis concerning the pesticide scenario in Brazil, aiming to discuss the food contamination levels observed from a geographical, political, and public health perspective. Exposures to pesticides in Brazil violate a range of human rights when food and water for human consumption are contaminated.

Keywords: Brazil; cancer risk; environmental exposure; food intake; pesticide.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recognition of pesticide residues according to PARA. (A) Main pesticide residues detected in PARA 2017–2018: total detected by active ingredient. (B) Percentage of pesticide residue detection about the parameters analyzed in the satisfactory samples of the PNCRC Vegetal 2020.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main pesticide residues detected in PARA 2017–2018: median of values detected per culture (mg/kg).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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