Abstract
Brazil, a global frontrunner in pesticide consumption and sales, particularly glyphosate, appears to be at odds with other countries that increasingly ban these products in their territories. This study gathers the values of Acceptable Daily Intake and Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) in the European Union for dozens of substances and subsequently contrasts them with the corresponding benchmarks upheld in Brazil concerning its predominant crops. Furthermore, this study delves into the toxicity levels and the potential health ramifications of glyphosate on humans through the ingestion of food containing its residues. The findings from this research underscore a notable surge in glyphosate and pesticide sales and usage within Brazil over the past decade. In stark contrast to its European counterparts, Brazil not only sanctioned the sale and application of 474 new pesticides in 2019, but extended the authorization for glyphosate sales while downgrading its toxicity classification. Finally, this review not only uncovers disparities among research outcomes but also addresses the complexities of replacing glyphosate and introduces environmentally friendlier alternatives that have been subject to evaluation in the existing literature.
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Data availability
The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
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LGA gratefully acknowledges the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs as well as the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research for funding his research grant in France under the framework of the MOPGA program. All authors are grateful to the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) for funding the TALiSMAN and TALiSMAN2 projects.
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De Araujo, L.G. acknowledge the MOPGA research grant in France, funded by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection and analysis were performed by LGA and DFZ. The first draft of the manuscript was written by LGA and DFZ and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. AC and VF supervised all steps of this investigation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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de Araujo, L.G., Zordan, D.F., Celzard, A. et al. Glyphosate uses, adverse effects and alternatives: focus on the current scenario in Brazil. Environ Geochem Health 45, 9559–9582 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01763-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01763-w