Characterization and distribution of pesticide use from 2015 to 2019, by health regions in the state of Rondônia (RO), Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

Colonization projects and the consolidation of commodities production made ranching and agriculture one of the main economic activities in Rondônia (RO). Simultaneously to this process, there was an increase in the consumption of pesticides, resulting in risks to human health and the environment. Based on datasets of different origins, this article analyzed the spatial distribution of pesticide commercialization in the different health regions of the state of Rondônia (RO), between 2015 and 2019. We used data from the Rondônia State Pesticide Trade Inspection System (Sistema de Fiscalização do Comércio de Agrotóxicos do Estado de Rondônia – SIAFRO), managed by the Agrosilvopastoral Health Defense Agency of the State of Rondônia (Agência de Defesa Sanitária Agrosilvopastoril do Estado de Rondônia – IDARON); the Phytosanitary Pesticides System (Sistema de Agrotóxicos Fitossanitários – AGROFIT), the National Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – ANVISA), the Brazilian Institue of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis – IBAMA) and of the IBGE Automatic Recovery System of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Sistema IBGE de Recuperação Automática do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística – SIDRA/IBGE). The consolidation of these data contributed to the analysis and presentation of the spatial distribution of the average amount of pesticides sold by health regions in RO and the main active ingredients sold, their use classification and quantity applied to each culture. We conclude that the production of commodities such as soy, corn, coffee, and pasture are the main drivers of pesticide commercialization in the study region. The main  marketed active ingredients suggest potential risks to public health and the environment. In addition, the present safety criteria regarding pesticides, especially in Brazil, are outdated and lead to public health and environmental vulnerability.