Hair analysis in children from a rural community in Paraguay reveals exposure to organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, fungicides, herbicides, and endocrine disruptors, highlighting the urgent need for stricter environmental protections and preventive health measures.

ABSTRACT

Chronic exposure to pesticides can cause carcinogenic, reproductive, neurological, and endocrine-disrupting effects. Hair analysis is a valuable biomonitoring tool to assess human exposure to pesticides. We determined the presence of pesticides, their metabolites, and other environmental pollutants in the hair of children in an agricultural area of Paraguay. We analyzed 152 pesticides and environmental chemicals in hair samples from 51 children (2–14 years, mean ± SD = 8.5 ± 3.3 years) living in Colonia San Juan, a rural community in Paraguay. The locality is surrounded by soybean crops, and the community engages primarily in family farming. Eighty of the 152 compounds (52.6%) were detected. Each child’s sample contained an average of 55 ± 3.7 compounds (range 48–65), including organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, fungicides, herbicides, and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A and bisphenol S. Thirty-seven compounds were present in all samples. Children in this rural community are simultaneously exposed to numerous pesticides and pollutants, highlighting the urgent need for stricter environmental protections and preventive health measures.