Hygienic assessment of pesticides and chemical fertilizers use in agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan

AIM. Hygienic assessment of pesticides and chemical fertilizers use on the background of other technogenic environmental chemical components influence and determination of their contribution to non-infectious morbidity of adult population. METHODS. The analysis included parameters of chemical technogenic impact on air, water bodies, and soil including those reflecting impact of use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and resource-saving soil tillage technologies. The connection between parameters characterizing use of pesticides and primary and total morbidity and prevalence of endocrine, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases of the adult population of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2000-2014 was analyzed. RESULTS. During the analyzed period quantitative and qualitative characteristics of pesticides use have changed dramatically in the republic: the area of soil tillage and gross volume of pesticides, primarily, herbicides, stocks and range of products have increased. Over 15 years in the republic the area of soil tillage has increased by 2.3 times, consumption of pesticides - by 1.9 times, and herbicides - by 2.85 times. Due to active implementation of resource-saving technologies into agriculture the ratio and volume of glyphosate herbicides use have increased. Among the adult population the incidence of cancer and prevalence of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases have increased. The incidence of cancer increased by 25.7% among people of working age and even more (by 39.1%, p <0.01) among elder people. The areas of resource-saving soil tillage technologies and the volume of glyphosate herbicides correlated with primary and overall cancer incidence and prevalence of endocrine diseases. 32.5 to 100% of direct significant contribution of technogenic chemical influence on environment objects to prevalence of known disease classes is associated with pesticides and chemical fertilizers use. CONCLUSION. Due to high population density (55.6 people/sq.km), development of oil, mechanical and other industries and agricultural sector, accompanied by increase of chemical impact on air, hydrosphere and lithosphere, the further expansion of the area of minimal and zero tillage technology, occupying nowadays half of the republic territory, should be performed with great caution and constant laboratory and epidemiologic monitoring.

pesticides, glyphosate herbicides, chemical fertilizers, non-infectious morbidity of adults, soil and air pollution