Visit to Brazil, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes toxicological studies by Ambios to suppress disclosure. In September of 2018, the CIF revoked Renova Foundations determination of intellectual property on the studies and no ownership clause allows the Renova Foundation to omit the studies data. 75. The August 2019 oil spill, reaching Northeast and Southeast Brazil, has been termed the worst oil spill in Brazil’s history.134 Calls for transparent, independent and comprehensive investigation into the cause and consequence of the spill ensued.135 Still without reliable information, affected communities struggle in the face of reputational impacts, unable to sell their produce at the markets, forced to consume fish they fear is contaminated, suffering severe distress from the impact on their livelihood and possible future health consequences. 76. There is a consistent pattern of not providing advance notice of spraying or information about pesticides used. For example, landless workers decried that the only ‘notice’ received is a cloud of chemicals above their encampments.136 Underreporting of pesticide poisoning is a major concern, where for each case notified, 50 remain unreported. 137 Medical professionals are inadequately trained to diagnose pesticide poisoning. In several places, particularly rural areas, access to the health system and viable laboratory tests for exposure studies is limited or non-existent. In some instances, respondents reported that the health system is not prepared to facilitate registration of poisoning. Consequently, there is no registration of a vast majority of acute incidences.138 For those reported, there is a lack of transparency hindering public health analyses. 77. The absence of hazard and use information on industrial chemicals is another violation of the right to information, impeding realization of various other human rights. Tens of thousands of industrial chemicals lack basic health information. As mentioned, in 2019 the new administration unfortunately abandoned significant work to develop systems equivalent to OECD members. 78. There remains inadequate capacity and resources with the various institutions tasked with monitoring and enforcement. Imposing cost recovery systems on regulated industries to increase capacity is needed. Monitoring of pesticide use in Brazil is grossly inadequate considering consumption, with aforementioned consequences. Brazil’s Ministry of Health program (VIGIÁGUA), created in 2011 to regulate and monitor drinking water quality only monitors 27 pesticide active ingredients, even though over 2000 active ingredients are permitted for use.139 79. Where it is not ignored, science is under attack in Brazil. Instead of building capacity, the Government is defunding institutions responsible for identifying environmental and health problems. Various public institutions in need of capacities to conduct studies on toxics and their health effects, already faced challenges such as funding cuts and other undermining efforts.140 Support to community members for active participation in research can contribute to improved public participation,141 adopting inexpensive methods and equipment, to bridge the gap where minimizing exposure has been lacking. 142 80. Troubling are reports of political interference at various levels to suppress collection, sharing, or publication of health data. A recent example is taking offline the health ministry’s 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 16 Paulo Gilvane Lopes Pena et al (2020) https://www.scielo.br/pdf/csp/v36n2/en_1678-4464-csp-3602-e00231019.pdf. Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (SRESCER) of IACHR (11 Nov 2019). Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) (2019). Wanderlei Antonio Pignati et al (2017) https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S141381232017021003281&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en. Juliana Dalbó et al (July 2019) https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232018247.19282017. Aliança pela Alimentação (2019); Auria M. C. Barbosa et al (2015) doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00246. João Paulo Amorimde Lacerda (January 2019) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018320105. Carvalho, LVB, Rocha, F, Finamore, R . (2019 / Dec) http://www.cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/artigos/vigilancia-popular-ambiental-e-siderurgia-asexperiencias-de-piquia-de-baixo-ma-e-santa-cruz-rj/17475?id=17475. Angélica B. Ferreira et al (20 September 2017) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01575; https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01575/full.