Sale, storage and use of legal, illegal and obsolete pesticides in Bolivia

Unregulated selling practices, bad storage habits and the use of illegal pesticides in Bolivia are widespread, with increasing negative consequences on public health and the environment. The present study describes the selling, storage and use of legal, illegal and obsolete pesticides among pesticide retailers and farmers in Bolivia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 191 pesticide-using farmers and 40 pesticide retailers. Data were gathered in 2009 in La Paz County, Bolivia. A questionnaire was used to evaluate pesticide handling practices and observational data on pesticide stocks and storage was assessed through direct visits on site. Banned, outdated and highly toxic pesticides were found stored on most smallholder farms. A mean of 299 g of pesticides was found on each farm, of which 60% were obsolete. Knowledge on pesticide toxicity and safe handling practices were lacking among both retailers and farmers, and poisonings were frequently reported. Significant figures of obsolete pesticides were found outside of the officially recognized dumping sites. This underlines the necessity of including the small but numerous amounts of pesticides stored at farms, when calculating a country’s total amount of obsolete pesticides. Better regulations of imports, sale and storage and an improved use of safety measures when handling pesticides needs to be urgently addressed.