Pesticide aerosol characteristics in the vicinity of an agricultural vehicle cab during application.
Pesticide spraying for crop protection leads to the formation of a mist of droplets, part of which is dispersed into the atmosphere. The characteristics of this aerosol, namely its particle size distribution and concentration, were measured during five campaigns involving cereal crop growing, wine grape culture, and orcharding. The measurement method incorporated a tracer product (fluorescein) with the treatment product; the pesticide aerosol concentration was then deduced from the tracer concentration. This method was validated by comparing the pesticide concentration determined by tracing with the concentration determined by direct measurement of the active substance of the pesticide. Concentration was measured using sampling filters, and particle size distribution was measured using cascade impactors. Instruments were mounted on an agricultural vehicle cab to optimize aerosol characterization, and then the cab's confinement efficiency was determined. Aerosols analyzed were fine, featuring mass median diameters between 4 microm and 15 microm; they are therefore highly dispersive. Their concentration is sufficiently high to justify operator protection by an efficient, filtered-air, pressurized cab, especially in wine grape culture and orcharding, which are the sectors where the highest pesticide transfers have been observed.
Bémer
Denis
D
Institut National de Recherche et Sécurité, Vandoeuvre, France. denis.bemer@inrs.fr
Fismes
Joelle
J
Subra
Isabelle
I
Blachère
Veronique
V
Protois
Jean-Claude
JC
D000336:Aerosols; D016573:Agrochemicals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000032:analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles
D000336:Aerosols; D016573:Agrochemicals; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D019793:Fluorescein