Environmental management of chemical residues in a family farming unit of chrysanthemums in Nova Friburgo, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The impact of the use of pesticides xx on the human health and the environment is an issue that has called the attention of the scientific community. The consumption of pesticides in the city of Nova Friburgo, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is high, evidencing the absence of of a policy of control and an adequate technical advisory. The concepts on the risks related to the exposure to the chemicals and their residues are of difficult understanding by the farmers. By means of a case study, an analysis on the poisoning risks by pesticides plus the management of chemical residues in a family chrysanthemus farming – at Vargem Alta District – is performed. In the locations where such pesticides are utilized, as in floriculture areas, their dosage and the frequency utilized are visually measured by the amount of pests in the plantations. The productive process was followed throughout its cycle. This study has demonstrated that the criteria utilized by the farmers when assessing the risks are not based on technical aspects. There is still the prevalence of family-inherited skills, for generations, of subjective concepts built on the manipulation of the chemicals and the residues’ disposal. The Personal Protective Equipment is perceived as uncomfortable and short-lived, thus jeopardizing the farming profit. Keywords: Floriculture. Pesticides. Environmental management. Family farming.