Potential dermal exposure to deltamethrin and risk assessment for manual sprayers: influence of crop type.
A comparison of the Potential Dermal Exposure (PDE) of workers to the insecticide deltamethrin was made as a function of crop type, in small agricultural production units in Argentina. Seven experiments were done with two different crops (maize and broccoli, treated area between 600 and 1000 m(2)) with three different operators under typical field conditions using a lever operated knapsack. The methodology is based on the whole body dosimetry technique, presenting separately the data for mixing/loading and application activities. These results indicate a higher concentration of pesticide in lower body sections for broccoli and a wider distribution for maize. The risk inherent in these agricultural procedures is estimated through Margin of Safety (MOS) values and was found to be generally safe. Preliminary results of a mass balance distribution of the pesticide between crop, soil and operator are also presented.
Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento (UNGS), J. M. Gutiérrez 1150, B1613GSX Los Polvorines, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Enrique A
EA
Hughes
Andrea P
AP
Flores
Laura M
LM
Ramos
Anita
A
Zalts
C
C
Richard Glass
Javier M
JM
Montserrat
D000383:Agriculture; D001118:Argentina; D001937:Brassica; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000032:analysis*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012867:Skin; D003313:Zea mays
D007306:Insecticides; D009570:Nitriles; D011722:Pyrethrins; C017180:decamethrin