A recent study published in Science of the Total Environment warns about the immunotoxic effects derived from the intensive use of pesticides in greenhouse agriculture. This practice not only poses an environmental danger but also seriously compromises the health of workers exposed to these compounds.
The massive use of pesticides in the agri-food industry has negative consequences for the environment, human health, and biodiversity. In environmental terms, the excess of pesticides and nutrients such as nitrates can seep into surface and groundwater, causing contamination.
In the human sphere, a team of researchers from the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA) and the universities of Granada and Almería identified immunological alterations associated with prolonged exposure to pesticides, which increases the risk of developing chronic diseases.
This study included 175 farmers exposed to pesticides and 91 unexposed individuals as a control group. During an agricultural campaign, researchers analyzed 27 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in periods of high and low exposure.
The results showed significantly elevated levels of interleukins such as IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13, associated with allergic inflammations, in addition to markers of chronic inflammation like IL-1β, VEGF, and Rantes. These alterations in immunoregulatory proteins suggest a higher risk of chronic diseases, according to Antonio Hernández, the study’s lead researcher.
Risk Conditions in Greenhouses
Greenhouses, with their enclosed environment and intensive use of pesticides, expose farmers to high concentrations of chemicals. These conditions promote an imbalance in the cytokines of the immune system, favoring the onset of immunologically based diseases.
The study, funded by the Andalusian regional government, highlights the urgency of improving the working conditions of agricultural workers. This includes implementing direct monitoring of exposure, developing early interventions, and adapting public health policies to mitigate risks.
The research reinforces the need for preventive measures that include adequate protective equipment, regular health assessments, and awareness campaigns. Protecting agricultural workers is not only a matter of labor justice but also an essential strategy to ensure sustainability and well-being in the agri-food sector.
What are the Risks of Pesticide Use?
Pesticides are substances designed to control, kill, repel, or attract pests. Such pests can be any living organism that causes damage or economic losses or that transmits or produces a disease.
Pesticides can pose risks to human health and the environment:
Health Effects in Humans
Exposure to pesticides can cause short-term and long-term effects:
In the short term, it can lead to headaches, dizziness, weakness, anxiety, nervousness, vision problems, nausea, vomiting, sweating, slow pulse, muscle tremors, tearing, cough, heart problems, and a feeling of suffocation.
In the long term, it can cause sterility, aplastic anemia, cancer, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, neuropsychological and cognitive disorders.
Environmental Effects
The use of pesticides can cause:
- Loss of aquatic biodiversity
- Proliferation of tolerant pest species
- Development of weed resistance
- Loss of pollinators
- Air, soil, and water pollution
The likelihood of developing health problems due to pesticides depends on the toxicity of the pesticide and the level of exposure.
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