ABSTRACT

Thus, for a good use of a pesticide, the farmer must know what pest or disease to combat, so that the technicians can inform him about the product to be used, its form of its application, the dose, the frequency, methods and equipment to be used. (4)

Immediately after the application of plant protection products, it is important to pay attention to three distinct aspects: to know and to put into practice the conditions expressed on the label regarding periods of re-entry in the treated crop, safety intervals, maintenance, cleaning of the application material, the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and the operator hygiene. (3)

Situations in which the victim is exposed accidentally to a plant protection product may present an increased risk to the rescuer. The victim should only be approached if there are safety conditions to do so. It is essential to avoid contact with these products, in particular by using gloves and other forms of body protection and not inhaling the vapors released by it. The goal of emergency treatment is to reduce the effects of intoxication, as soon as possible. Do not lose time looking for an antidote, unless it can be obtained immediately. Provide emergency transport to the hospital, accompanying the victim, whenever possible, with the packaging or the label. (8)

In fact, these products, being a production factor, clearly have the great benefit of contributing to an increase of harvests by reducing yields, improving agricultural product quality and efficiency in various tasks, but the great majority of chemical products, they have inherent in themselves a certain negative charge, consequence of the greater or less toxicity and the characteristics of each one. It is therefore confirmed that, in addition to the

1 INTRODUCTION

Applying a plant protection product aims to solve a particular plant health problem. The realization of this goal depends on several factors, which cannot be forgotten in any way. Incorrect application, in addition to wasting product, may cause additional problems in the crop, contaminate the applicator and the environment. (3)

Plant protection products are therefore an indisputable instrument in agricultural production, but their application involves exposure to serious risk factors for human health, both at the application stage and for public health and the environment. It is in this context that studies have been developed to evaluate the effects of the use of these products on agricultural production, both regarding the target population/workers or the final recipient/ consumer of the product. These studies consider the elimination of their use as much as possible, with the risks associated being more or less severe depending on the way they are used. (13)

The preparation of the syrup requires specific care by the operator. At this stage, in addition to handling undiluted concentrated products, there are a variety of operations, such as mixing and filling of the spray tanks, which require extra attention. Preparing the syrup is a fairly responsible operation that should only be performed by qualified persons. It is necessary to ensure that there are no people or animals near the place where the syrup is prepared and take all precautions so that no errors or accidents might occur, with negative consequences for the quality of the treatment, the operator and the environment. (3)

benefits associated with its use, there might also be dangers to human and animal health and unacceptable impacts on the environment, facts which are needed to know and minimized. (14)

2 PHYTOPHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

With the growing demand and use of plant protection products in the agricultural sector, and given the dangers inherent in their use, as well as the producers handling them, there was a need to implement Law No 26/2013 of April 11. The purpose of this document is to regulate the distribution, sale and application of plant protection products for professional use and adjuvants of plant protection products, defining procedures for monitoring the use of plant protection products. (2) On the other hand, DecreeLaw No. 101/2009 of May 11 aims to regulate the non-professional use of plant protection products in the domestic environment, establishing conditions for their authorization, sale and application. (1)

Law No. 26/2013 of April 11 covers agricultural/ forestry, urban/leisure, communication and confined areas. These products must state on their label phrases such as “this product is intended for use by farmers and other plant protection product applicators”, “to avoid risks to humans and the environment to comply with the instructions” and “to keep out of the reach of children”. All companies under this law must have specific training required, exclusive storage facility, and all products must be sold in exclusive establishments and licensed for this purpose. (7)

Law No. 101/2009 of 11 May has therefore dominion of the domestic environment, such as indoor plants, gardens or family gardens. This law applies to vegetable gardens with areas less than 500 m2, productions intended for self-consumption not subject to residue control. This law covers ready-to-use products, packaging with capacity or weight of 1 L or 1 Kg, packaging with the words “unprofessional use” and “bottom plant line”, as well as child-resistant fastening. This Law does not require any kind of mandatory training nor installation of warehouse and the places destined to the sale of these products not require licensing. (7)

2.1 Phytopharmaceuticals

Plant protection products are therefore all products intended to control organic organisms which are considered to be harmful in the agricultural sector. They are subdivided into (12):

• Fungicides (reach fungi) • Herbicides (reach the plants); • Acaricides (reach the mites); • Rodenticides (reaching rodents); • Molluscicides (reaching slugs and snails);

• Nematodecides (reach nematodes); • Growth regulators; • Biostimulants (potentiates endogenous factors); • Adjuvants (used in mixtures with insecticides to

attract flies); • Attractive (used in mixtures with insecticides,

facilitating the contact of the pests with the insecticide syrup);

• Repellents (used alone or as adjuvants of these products, in order to repel certain vertebrate organisms);

• Insecticides (reach insects)

The latter are further subdivided into synthetic organic insecticides, synthetic inorganic insecticides, botanical insecticides and biological agents. Since this article aims to assess the chemical risks associated with the application of plant protection products in public health and the environment, we will address only the most harmful ones, namely organic synthetic insecticides. These are organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids, all of which have harmful effects on the environment and public health. (11)

Organochlorines have the disadvantage of degrading very slowly in the environment, thus leading to their gradual accumulation in the ecosystem. Therefore these pesticides are persistent in the environment with tendency of accumulation in the tissues of the alive beings. (11)

Concerning the aquatic environment, insecticides such as organophosphates can contaminate the environment by their discharging or discharging effluents into the water, by infiltrating the soil (contaminating groundwater) or by pulverization. Carbamates in this medium can contaminate water in the same way as organophosphates, which have the particularity of rapidly decomposing into an aquatic environment. (11)

In addition to the harmful effects of organophosphates in the aquatic environment, it may be hazardous to the health of the workers applying and to others who may come in contact with them, and intoxication by the substance may lead to direct health problems. The dispersion of the organophosphates through their spraying can be caused by winds spreading over areas of 1 km to 2 km, causing a serious risk of contamination. (11)

2.2 Phytopharmaceuticals classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans

With all these public health problems arising from the application of pesticides, World Health Organization (WHO) found five plant protection products classified as possible carcinogens for humans (10):

1. Glyphosate It is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and has recently been classified as possibly carcinogenic to man.