Author(s)

Paula Critina da Silva Botelho¹, Valdênia Gomes Rocha², Tamires Ribeiro Dutra², Júlio César Alves Feitosa³, Ricardo Campos de Assis², Thiago Sande Miguel⁴, Nayrton Kalys Cruz dos Anjos⁴, Daniel Almeida da Costa⁵, Lina Claudia Pereira Lopes⁶, Lamara Laguardia Valente Rocha⁷

¹Department of Nursing, University Center of Caratinga, Caratinga, Brazil.
²Graduating in medicine, University Center of Caratinga, Caratinga, Brazil.
³Graduating in Psychology, University Center of Caratinga, Caratinga, Brazil.
⁴The Medical School at the Center of Higher Education of Valenca, Valenca, Brazil.
⁵Department of Medicine, Graduate Program in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Valencia, Brazil.
⁶Speech Therapist, The Medical School at the Center of Higher Education of Valenca, Valenca, Brazil.
⁷Department of Morphology, University Center of Caratinga, Caratinga, Brazil.

In Brazil, the amount of pesticides consumed doubled in the last 10 years. Thus, in 2008 it assumed the lead position in the world. However, its indiscriminate application in agriculture without the use of the necessary care has contributed to environmental degradation and increased occupational exposures, making it a serious health problem in the country. The recent study looked to evaluate the auditory health and risk factors in rural workers exposed to pesticides in Piedade de Caratinga County—MG, and chart their socioeconomic profile and lifestyle while identifying the types of crops and the use and management of pesticides. Developed, then, a descriptive and exploratory study involving 23 men, rural workers, exposed to pesticides, with no history of exposure to noise, with changes in meatoscopy and aged ≤50 years of age. The results show the sample consisted of 23 men with a mean age of 36.7 ± 9.3, whom have low education, with a monthly income of 1 minimum wage, working in the fields for over 15 years. There was a predominance of horticulture using organophosphate pesticides and pyrethroids. Part of the sample shows auditory loss, the most common sensorineural conductive loss. It is essential that the population exposed to this type of risk is informed and receives guidance from educational campaigns developed by the multidisciplinary team of basic health units.

Auditory Health, Pesticides, Audiometry and Rural Workers

da Silva Botelho, P. , Rocha, V. , Dutra, T. , Feitosa, J. , de Assis, R. , Miguel, T. , dos Anjos, N. , da Costa, D. , Lopes, L. and Rocha, L. (2017) Auditory Health and Risk Factors in Rural Workers Exposed to Pesticides in Piedade de Caratinga County-Minas Gerais. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 5, 37-55. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2017.57005.