A exposição de ovos de podocnemis unifilis ao herbicida Roundup®: uma visão bromatológica e socioambiental

Abstract

Brazil stands out as a global agricultural powerhouse, driven by the intensified use of technologies and pesticides to increase crop productivity. Among these compounds, glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide, although it poses potential environmental risks to wildlife. Agricultural expansion, particularly in the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, has promoted changes in ecosystems, affecting species such as Podocnemis unifilis (yellow-spotted river turtle), which holds significant ecological, economic, and cultural importance for traditional communities. The proximity between agricultural areas and nesting sites increases the risk of pesticide contamination, potentially resulting in bioaccumulation and impacts on the food security and food sovereignty of populations that rely on this species as a food resource. In this context, the present study evaluated the effects of glyphosate exposure on eggs of Podocnemis unifilis obtained from captive breeding facilities, with no prior exposure to the herbicide, by analyzing their nutritional composition. A total of 83 eggs were collected at EMBRAPA/AP. Of these, 48 were incubated under semi-natural conditions and assigned to three treatments: control, 65 µg/L, and 6500 µg/L of glyphosate, with sampling conducted at 20, 40, and 60 days of incubation. The remaining 35 eggs were used for initial bromatological characterization and were not subjected to the experimental treatments. The results indicated that glyphosate exposure promoted significant changes in the nutritional composition of the eggs, particularly in calcium, copper, lipid, and manganese levels, suggesting a direct influence of the herbicide on the bromatological quality of P. unifilis eggs. These findings highlight potential risks to the food security of traditional communities, raising concerns regarding the consumption of turtle eggs due to their susceptibility to contamination in natural environments associated with the expansion of Brazilian agribusiness. Thus, the study demonstrates that the impacts of glyphosate extend beyond weed control, affecting species that are essential to Amazonian ecological balance and the food security of traditional populations. It is concluded that the use of pesticides in areas surrounding river basins contributes to environmental degradation and processes of social exclusion.