Health problems in agricultural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides/ Problemas de saude identificados em trabalhadores rurais expostos ocupacionalmente a agrotoxicos

Agricultural workers are susceptible to several health problems as a result of occupational exposure to toxic substances, especially pesticides. The aim of this review was to describe the health issues associated with occupational exposure to pesticides in agricultural workers. A descriptive study, in the form of an integrative literature review, was conducted based on articles retrieved from the LILACS, SciELO and PubMed databases, published between January 2015 and October 2018. The searches were conducted using the keywords "pesticides," "workers' health," "occupational exposure" and "agricultural workers." The study was guided by the following research question: what health problems do agricultural workers experience as a result of occupational exposure to pesticides? The screening process led to the selection of 35 studies performed in several countries and continents, all of which shed light on the vulnerability of agricultural workers, especially due to the misuse of personal protective equipment and lack of knowledge about the correct use of these devices. The studies investigated a variety of health issues, and most reported a positive association between these conditions, which include cancer, and the use of pesticides. Educational and preventive measures must be implemented to promote the health of rural workers. Furthermore, it is crucial that governments play an active role in these initiatives and provide alternatives to pesticides for pest control. Keywords | occupational health; occupational exposure; agricultural workers; pesticides. Os trabalhadores rurais encontram-se suscetiveis a diversos problemas de saude na execucao de suas atividades laborais, decorrentes da exposicao a agentes toxicos, principalmente pelo uso de agrotoxicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi escrever os agravos a saude relacionados a exposicao ocupacional a agroquimicos em trabalhadores rurais. Estudo de carater descritivo caracterizado como revisao integrativa da literatura foi realizado utilizando-se como fonte de dados artigos publicados em periodicos indexados nas bases LILACS, SciELO e PubMed, referente ao periodo de janeiro de 2015 a outubro de 2018, com os seguintes descritores em saude: "agrotoxicos", "saude do trabalhador", "exposicao ocupacional" e "agricultores". A questao norteadora a ser atendida foi: quais os problemas de saude identificados em trabalhadores rurais devido a exposicao ocupacional a agrotoxicos? A selecao de artigos resultou em 35 estudos re