Exposure to glyphosate herbicide: clinical and toxicological aspects

Abstract

Since 1990 there has been a progressive increase in the use of herbicides in Uruguay in agricultural work that caused glyphosate herbicide exposure, widely used according to the Centro de Información y Asesoramiento Toxicológico (CIAT) del Departamento de Toxicología. Clinical reports from 1997 to 2002 (n = 107) were analysed, considering the following variables: age, sex, exposure types, exposure ways, category and time symptomatology, progression and treatment. The equation exposure types (intentional, laboral and accidental) and symptoms showed important characteristics; symtoms varied according to exposure ways. Among the conclusions we notice: a) cause of exposure was, in most of the cases, involuntary (accidental and laboral); b) a numerous infant population was accidentally exposed, due to bad storage conditions and bad managment at work; c) skin-mucous absortion was proved by local and systemic symptoms; d) finally, there were neuroskeletal symptoms that we could not find so far a physiopathologic explanation.