Assessment of relevant factors and relationships concerning human dermal exposure to pesticides in greenhouse applications

Abstract

Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the gas chromatographic data obtained from 23 different greenhouse trials. This was used to establish which factors, including application technique (very small, small, medium and large drop-size), crop characteristics (short/tall, thin/dense) and pattern application of the operator (walking towards or away from the treated area) are relevant to the dermal exposure levels of greenhouse applicators. The results showed that the highest exposure by pesticides during field applications in greenhouses, in the climatic conditions and in the crop conditions typical of a southern European country, occurs on the lower legs and front thighs of the applicators. Similar results were obtained by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Drop-size seems to be very important in determining total exposure, while height and density of crops have little influence on total exposure under the conditions of the present study. No pesticide type is a major factor in total exposure. The application of multiple regression analysis (MRA) allowed assessment of the relationships between the pesticide exposure of the less affected parts of the body with the most affected parts.

Exposure and risk assessment for agricultural workers during chlorothalonil and flubendiamide treatments in pepper fields

“…In pepper fields, characterized by high plant density and closely spaced rows, workers frequently interact with crops. This pattern is consistent with previous research on Korean cabbage, rice, and pepper, where body parts at the same height as the crops showed higher exposure distribution 8 , 25 , 41 , 44 , 49 . Dermal exposure on inner clothing during application ranged from 0.025 to 4.763 mg.…”

“…In Republic of Korea, the dermal absorption factor (AF) for liquid and solid formulations among agricultural workers is established at 10% 48 . Additionally, the AOEL for chlorothalonil and flubendiamide is set at 0.009 mg kg bw −1 day −1 and 0.006 mg kg bw −1 day −1 , respectively 49 .…”

Health risks of pest control and disinfection workers after the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea

“…This study showed that even if workers use the same chemicals, the risks are different according to the exposure route and application method. Previous studies also confirmed that different exposure routes increased the health risks ( Choi et al., 2013 ; Martínez Vidal et al., 2002 ; Protano et al., 2009 ). Baharuddin et al.…”

Risk of dermal and inhalation exposure to chlorantraniliprole assessed by using whole‐body dosimetry in Korea

“…These results are similar to those obtained by Nuyttens et al ., who reported that downward spraying on tomatoes resulted in greater exposure to the upper leg, which was significantly greater than for other body parts. Martinez‐Vidal et al . reported that pesticide exposure levels on the legs when spraying peppers and beans was 62.6–63.9% of the total exposure ratio.…”