Pesticide Contamination in the Hair of Children From Colonia San Juan, a Rural Community in Paraguay

TL;DR

Children in a rural Paraguayan community show high pesticide exposure in their hair, indicating a need for better environmental protections.

Contribution

This study identifies multiple pesticide and pollutant exposures in children's hair from a soybean farming area in Paraguay.

Findings

80 out of 152 pesticides and pollutants were detected in children's hair samples.

Each child's sample contained an average of 55 compounds, including organophosphates and endocrine disruptors.

37 compounds were found in all samples, indicating widespread exposure.

Abstract

Chronic exposure to pesticides can cause carcinogenic, reproductive, neurological, and endocrine‐disrupting effects. Hair analysis is a valuable biomonitoring tool to assess human exposure to pesticides. We determined the presence of pesticides, their metabolites, and other environmental pollutants in the hair of children in an agricultural area of Paraguay. We analyzed 152 pesticides and environmental chemicals in hair samples from 51 children (2–14 years, mean ± SD = 8.5 ± 3.3 years) living in Colonia San Juan, a rural community in Paraguay. The locality is surrounded by soybean crops, and the community engages primarily in family farming. Eighty of the 152 compounds (52.6%) were detected. Each child's sample contained an average of 55 ± 3.7 compounds (range 48–65), including organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, fungicides, herbicides, and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A and bisphenol S. Thirty‐seven compounds were present in all samples. Children in this rural community are simultaneously exposed to numerous pesticides and pollutants, highlighting the urgent need for stricter environmental protections and preventive health measures.

Hair analysis in children from a rural community in Paraguay reveals exposure to organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, fungicides, herbicides, and endocrine disruptors, highlighting the urgent need for stricter environmental protections and preventive health measures.

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