The Management of Pesticide Exposure in Greenhouses

Abstract

The principles of risk assessment and risk management have been applied to the use of pesticides in greenhouses. Pesticide efficacy and safety require consideration of a number of exposure scenarios, and the optimal management procedure may need to take into account more than one of these. Worker exposure may occur during pesticide spraying and the subsequent handling of plant material. Exclusion and the wearing of personal protective equipment are occupational hygiene practices that are used to control human uptake arising from these exposures. The principal factor affecting exposure levels in air and their decay is the ventilation characteristics of the greenhouse, and is therefore site-specific. As the principal route of exposure of workers is dermal, and rates of penetration of pesticide through protective clothing vary, choice of protective clothing is also important. This paper demonstrates that there is a need for site-specific occupational hygiene advice when undertaking work in greenhouses.

Impaired Reproductive Development in Sons of Women Occupationally Exposed to Pesticides during Pregnancy

“…In temperate climates, the highest occupational pesticide exposure likely occurs in greenhouses—especially in the production of ornamental plants and cut flowers—that involve inadequate ventilation, frequent application of pesticides, and manual handling of the treated plants ( Brouwer et al 1992 ; Illing 1997 ). Many women in fertile age groups are employed in this industry, with a total of approximately 2,500 women in Denmark.…”

Phase equilibria of polypropylene samples with hydrocarbon solvents at high pressures

“…These applicator studies vary in emphasis on assessing inhalation and dermal exposure, absorbed dose based on plasma or urine analysis and factors affecting extent of exposure, such as type of application equipment, type of protective clothing and crop type 6, 7. The majority of these studies indicate that dermal exposure is the main route of exposure for pesticide applicators, irrespective of the type of spray application 8–13. Different authors have observed an important non‐uniformity of dermal exposure from different kinds of spray application technique 14–18.…”

“…All of these are important because pesticides are known to have carcinogenic, neurological, reproductive and other adverse health effects in humans 50, 51. That is why there is a need for site‐specific occupational hygiene advice 12. Although care is also needed before4, 52 and after spraying,53 the main objective of this study was to compare the potential dermal exposure (PDE) of various parts of the body between novel and traditional greenhouse spray equipment under actual working conditions when spraying large plants.…”