In at least 10 Latin American countries, babies may be consuming pesticides through breast milk—with the highest proportions being in Mexico and Brazil. This is the conclusion of an analysis of 49 studies published between 1973 and 2020 (of which 26% were from between 2012 and 2020), most carried out in Mexico (44%) and Brazil (20%), with milk samples collected from urban and rural areas. Most of the studies (34, equal to 69%) recorded pesticide contamination in 100% of the samples, usually by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), which was banned in Brazil in 2009. The researchers from the federal universities of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB), West Bahia (UFOB), and Bahia (UFBA) responsible for the survey believe the high prevalence of contamination by pesticides could be related to the intense use of these substances in agriculture. Although some have been banned in Brazil, others have been authorized for use in recent years. These substances can end up in breast milk after accumulating in the environment. Once in the human body, they can cause hormonal imbalances, infertility, and cancer (Revista de Saúde Pública, April).
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