Palabras Clave: patrón de uso, exposición laboral, ecosistemas, contaminación, agricultura RESUMENEl presente trabajo analiza la investigación que se ha llevado a cabo en México con relación al uso y efecto de los plaguicidas en el ambiente y salud humana. Se revisaron 394 artículos publicados en los últimos 20 años en revistas indizadas o arbitradas. Las publicaciones se agruparon en 7 temas principales: 1) patrón de uso de plaguicidas, 2) efectos en el ambiente; 3) estudios ecotoxicológicos; 4) exposición en población humana; 5) residuos en alimentos; 6) toxicología de plaguicidas (estudios in vitro e in vivo); y 7) bioplaguicidas y biorremediación. El análisis de estas investigaciones indican que actualmente se utilizan Plaguicidas Altamente Peligrosos (PAPs) en las zonas agrícolas del país, su uso histórico y actual se relaciona con efectos negativos en ecosistemas terrestres y costeros, se han reportado efectos en la salud de los trabajadores agrícolas y sus familias, tales como alteraciones hematológicas, hormonales, daños genéticos, alteraciones del comportamiento y daños celulares; los niños constituyen el grupo más vulnerable a la exposición, además se han documentado daños genéticos, reproductivos y neuronales en modelos celulares y en organismos de laboratorio y se reportan residuos en alimentos como leche, hortalizas y granos. Como medidas de mitigación, se documentan procesos de biorremediación de suelos y agua contaminada,

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Two experiments were conducted to compare a supplemental blend of essential oils alone (EO) or combined with enzymes (EO + ENZ) versus virginiamycin (VM), on characteristics of growth performance (Exp. 1) and digestion (Exp. 2) in finishing lambs. Lambs were fed a high-energy finishing diet supplemented with: (1) no supplement (control); (2) 150 mg supplemental EO; (3) 150 mg supplemental EO plus 560 mg alpha-amylase (EO + ENZ); and 4) 25 mg VM. Compared with the control, growth performance response to EO and VM were similar, enhancing (5.7%, p < 0.05) feed efficiency and observed dietary net energy. Compared with control, supplementation with EO + ENZ tended (p = 0.09) to increase dry matter intake (6.8%), improving (p < 0.05) weight gain and feed efficiency (10.4 and 4.4%, respectively). Dietary energy utilization was greater (2.7%, p < 0.05) for EO and VM than EO + ENZ. Treatment effects on the carcass and visceral mass were small, but additive supplementation decreased (p ≤ 0.03) the relative weight of the intestines. There were no treatment effects on measures of digestion nor digestible energy of the diet. Supplemental EO may be an effective alternative to VM in high-energy finishing diets for feedlot lambs. Combination EO + ENZ may further enhance dry matter intake, promoting increased weight gain.

In Mexico, use of river water for households, agriculture and industry has adversely affected aquatic environment through chemical and microbial contamination. The aim of this study was to determine pesticide residues levels in water of rivers from central Sinaloa State, Northwestern Mexico. In samples obtained from July 2008 to June 2009 pesticides residues detected were lindane, heptachlor, endosulfan, dicloro difenil tricloroetano (DDT), diazinon, chlorpyrifos, permethrin, methyl parathion, cyromazine, ethion, carbofenothion, lambda cyhalotrine, pyrimicarb, malathion and aldrin. None exceeded water quality ecological criteria or those established by US Environmental Protection Agency. Comparatively low concentrations and frequencies suggest that pesticide contamination derived from runoffs toward river from contaminated soil particles and not from use of pesticides in intensive agriculture of region.