Pesticide threshold weighing indicator: application in the State of Paraná, Brazil.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze data from the Information System for Monitoring the Quality of Water for Human Consumption (Sisagua) to develop an environmental health indicator that assesses the risk of pesticide residues in drinking water.

Methods: This is an ecological epidemiological study using retrospective data. Information on the Limit of Detection (LOD), Limit of Quantification (LOQ), and Maximum Permissible Value (MPV) of pesticide residues in drinking water, recorded by municipalities in the state of Paraná between 2014 and 2020, was analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistical approaches were employed, including tests of association, correlation, and hypothesis testing, as well as probability analysis, through spatial and temporal analyses.

Results: A Pesticide Threshold Weighting Indicator (iPLA) was developed, with an explanatory capacity of variability greater than 77%. The risk-attributable variable was mainly related to the MPV, which received the highest weighting, while the LOD and LOQ were assigned lower weights.

Conclusion: The iPLA demonstrated the ability to represent pesticide concentration levels in drinking water. The risk categories defined by the indicator - controlled, silent, and alert - represent a highly useful tool for public health surveillance, as they enable the identification of local drinking water risk levels to human health. Moreover, the iPLA supports public management in implementing control actions and improvements in the quality of water for human consumption.