Pesticide residue on/in the washed skin and its potential contribution to dermal toxicity.
Washing the skin of humans or experimental animals after exposure to a pesticide or other chemical may leave a major portion of the dose on/in the washed skin. Questions have been raised as to whether this skin residue can contribute to the toxicity of a pesticide by continued post-wash absorption. In a set of 19 pesticides tested in the rat to determine the fate of this skin residue, absorption from the washed skin continued in 15 at all doses tested, continued in 2 pesticides at only some of the doses tested and did not continue in 2 volatile pesticides. However, only nine pesticides showed an increase in systemic concentration following absorption from the washed skin, which can be considered indicative of potential increased toxicity. The time of occurrence and magnitude of the increase varied with chemical and dose, being a combination of rate and magnitude of absorption and rate and magnitude of excretion of the absorbed chemical. Similar patterns of continued absorption of skin residue may be expected to occur in humans.
Zendzian
Robert P
RP
Health Effects Division (7509C), Office of Pesticide Programs, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460, USA. Zendzian.Robert@epa.gov
D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000502:physiology
D010573:Pesticide Residues