Abstract

LOPEZ-DAVILA, Edelbis et al. Knowledge and practical use of pesticides in Cuba. Cienc. Tecnol. Agropecuaria [online]. 2020, vol.21, n.1, pp.51-70.  Epub Dec 30, 2019. ISSN 0122-8706.  https://doi.org/10.21930/rcta.vol21_num1_art:1282.

The unauthorized use of pesticides applied at inappropriate times and/or in unregistered crops is a potential risk to the environment and also to human health. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of farmers on the use, risk, and hazards associated with the exposure to pesticides in the agricultural region of Sancti Spíritus, Cuba. To comply with the objective, 124 farmers of this province were surveyed. The results were analyzed initially through a descriptive analysis and then, performing an association analysis using the Chi-Square test and Spearman´s correlations, employing the statistical package SPSS version 20.0. The results showed that only 28.3 % of the farmers had received specific training on pesticides. Personal experience was the main driver for decisions about which pesticides to use and how it would be applied. About 35.8 % of the farmers stored pesticides in unmarked containers, such as soft drink bottles. The empty containers are stored to be incinerated (31.7 %) or reused (42.6 %) for pesticides, water, or fuel. Around 90 % of the farmers surveyed do not use personal protective equipment. The study concludes that the lack of knowledge and use of personal protective equipment, the inability to understand the labels and also the low risk-perception are the main causes of exposure to pesticides and the health risk for workers and nearby residents, as well as the damages caused to the environment.

Keywords : occupational exposure; organophosphates; personal protection equipment; plant protection products; small lot farmers.

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