Occupational exposure to pesticides in agro-industries

The central problem lies in the growing use of pesticides in the Brazilian agro-industrial sector and the lack of effective practices to protect workers’ health, especially in contexts marked by informality, low inspection and socio-economic vulnerability. The methodology adopted involved the selection of studies published between 2020 and 2024 in the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and SciELO databases, with well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, allowing a critical epitome of the current state of knowledge. The results indicated a consistent association between exposure to pesticides and various health problems, including acute poisoning, chronic diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders, dermatological alterations, musculoskeletal syndromes and severe psychosocial impacts.