Pesticide exposure research sparks calls for action in Buenos Aires

Agronomist Virginia Aparicio presented findings from the SPRINT (Sustainable Plant Protection Transition) project to the Balcarce Deliberative Council, detailing international research on pesticide exposure in humans, animals, and the environment. The study, funded by the European Union, analyzed samples from ten districts in southeastern Buenos Aires province, including Balcarce, Tandil, and Necochea.

Research findings indicated exposure to mixtures of pesticides in soil, water, domestic dust, and biological samples such as blood and urine. Data from a water survey in Buenos Aires province showed that 9% of network water samples and 18% of rural well samples exceeded European reference thresholds.

In response to calls for caution regarding these findings, retired INTA Balcarce researcher José Luis Costa emphasized the legal necessity of the precautionary principle. He argued that under Argentina's General Environmental Law, a lack of scientific certainty should not delay preventive measures when there is a risk of serious or irreversible damage. Costa noted that current Argentine regulations do not account for many pesticides currently in use and urged municipal authorities to expand water analysis and monitoring.