Occupational exposure to agrochemicals and risk management in the Ecuadorian agri-industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.646Keywords:
Occupational Exposure; Agrochemicals; Risk Management; Occupational Health And Safety; Agroindustry.Abstract
The agro-industrial sector constitutes a strategic component of Ecuador’s economic development; however, the intensive use of pesticides poses a significant risk to workers’ health. This issue is primarily associated with the gap between existing occupational health and safety regulations and their effective implementation within workplace risk management systems in agricultural settings. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between occupational exposure to agrochemicals and risk management practices among agro-industrial workers.
The study was conducted under a quantitative approach, using a non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of 35 workers from an agro-industrial company located in the province of Pichincha, dedicated to the production of celery, lettuce, and cilantro. An anonymous, structured questionnaire was administered, adapted from instruments previously validated in Latin American populations.
Data analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistics, employing non-parametric correlation tests appropriate for the level of measurement of the variables. The results revealed weaknesses in the implementation of risk management practices, particularly in the proper use of personal protective equipment and in preventive training processes. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was identified between institutional risk management and workers’ preventive behavior, suggesting that management extends beyond the mere provision of equipment and directly influences safe work practices.
It is concluded that strengthening institutional management, beyond formal regulatory compliance, promotes the adoption of preventive behaviors among workers, thereby contributing to the reduction of risks associated with exposure to agrochemicals in the agro-industrial sector.
Downloads
References
Almeida, M., Silva, R., Pereira, L., & Costa, S. (2023). Pesticide application as a risk factor for workers’ health: A systematic review. Safety, 9(3), 160. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030160
Ali, I. (2024). Occupational exposure to pesticides and health symptoms among farmers in Palestine. African Health Sciences, 24(4), 373–382. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v24i4.46 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v24i4.46
Breilh, J., et al. (2021). Health symptoms related to pesticide use in banana plantations in Ecuador. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031126
Buralli, R. J., Ribeiro, H., Iglesias, V., Muñoz Quezada, M. T., Leão, R. S., Marques, R. C., Almeida, M. M. C., & Guimarães, J. R. D. (2020). Occupational exposure to pesticides and health symptoms among family farmers in Brazil. Revista de Saúde Pública, 54, 133. https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054002263 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054002263
Intana, W., Eden, C., & Tawanwongsri, W. (2026). Exposición a pesticidas y síntomas mucocutáneos entre trabajadores agrícolas tailandeses: Un estudio transversal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010097 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010097
Mancheno, M., Cedeño, P., Guamán, A., & Alcívar, M. (2025). Riesgos laborales por exposición a agroquímicos en el cultivo de cacao. Novasinergia, 8(2), 92–101. https://doi.org/10.37135/ns.01.16.05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37135/ns.01.16.05
Mancheno Padilla, E. M., Mestanza Segura, P. A., Vaca Viscarra, P. L., & Jácome Alarcón, L. F. (2024). Evaluación de riesgos agroquímicos en una empresa bananera. Religación: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, 9(41), e2401202. https://doi.org/10.46652/rgn.v9i41.1202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46652/rgn.v9i41.1202
Moreira, A., & da Silva, M. V. (2023). La aplicación de pesticidas como factor de riesgo para la salud de los trabajadores: Una revisión sistemática. Environments, 10(9), 160. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments10090160 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/environments10090160
Narváez-Villegas, L. M. (2025). Occupational safety and health impacts of pesticide exposure in agroindustrial workers. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Innovation, 4(1), 55–63. https://proceedings.ageditor.ar/index.php/piii/article/view/405
Parasram, B., & Choudhury, S. (2025). Occupational health risk of farmers. PLOS ONE, 20(3), e0327283. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327283 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327283
Portella de-Assis, M. P., Barcella, R. C., Padilha, J. C., Pohl, H. H., & Krug, S. B. F. (2021). Problemas de salud en trabajadores agrícolas expuestos ocupacionalmente a pesticidas. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho, 18(3), 352–363. https://doi.org/10.47626/1679-4435-2020-532 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47626/1679-4435-2020-532
Sinchire-Castillo, L., Cayambe, J., & Heredia-R., M. (2023). Knowledge, perception and practices of pesticide application: A case study of rice growers in Ecuador. Revista Tecnológica–ESPOL, 36(2), 45–55. https://rte.espol.edu.ec/index.php/tecnologica/article/view/1013
Venugopal, D., Beerappa, R., Chauhan, D., Karunamoorthy, P., Ambikapathy, M., Mohankumar, T., Gaikwad, A., & Kondhalkar, S. (2025). Occupational health complaints and demographic features of farmers exposed to agrochemicals during agricultural activity. BMC Public Health, 25, Article 2416. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23174-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23174-5
Zambrano-Salazar, P. G., & Quinde-Alvear, A. G. (2023). Enfermedades por exposición a plaguicidas agrícolas en la empresa florícola “Fresh Market of Ecuador”. MQRInvestigar, 7(3), 2229–2258. https://doi.org/10.56048/MQR20225.7.3.2023.2229-2258 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56048/MQR20225.7.3.2023.2229-2258
Zheng, R., Romero Del Rey, R., García González, J., Requena Mullor, M., Navarro Mena, Á., López Villén, A., & Alarcón Rodríguez, R. (2024). Indicators of occupational pesticide exposure are associated with psychiatric symptoms. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 105, 104357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2023.104357 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2023.104357
Zúñiga-Venegas, L., et al. (2020). Validation of a questionnaire for assessing occupational exposure to pesticides. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1435.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Evelyn C. García Rea, Leslie D. Ramón Arévalo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Eres libre de:
- Compartir : copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato
- Adaptar : remezclar, transformar y desarrollar el material
- El licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades siempre y cuando usted cumpla con los términos de la licencia.
En los siguientes términos:
- Atribución : Debe otorgar el crédito correspondiente , proporcionar un enlace a la licencia e indicar si se realizaron cambios . Puede hacerlo de cualquier manera razonable, pero no de ninguna manera que sugiera que el licenciante lo respalda a usted o a su uso.
- No comercial : no puede utilizar el material con fines comerciales .
- CompartirIgual — Si remezcla, transforma o construye sobre el material, debe distribuir sus contribuciones bajo la misma licencia que el original.
- Sin restricciones adicionales : no puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otros hacer algo que la licencia permite.
