Occupational behaviors and farmworkers' pesticide exposure: findings from a study in Monterey County, California.
BACKGROUND
We studied the relationship between behaviors promoted through the US Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and other programs and agricultural pesticide exposures in 73 strawberry fieldworkers employed in Monterey County, California.


METHODS
Farmworkers' behaviors were assessed via self-report and organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure was measured using dimethyl alkylphosphate (DMAP) and malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA) urinary metabolite levels.


RESULTS
Wearing WPS-recommended clothing, wearing clean work clothes, and the combination of handwashing with soap and wearing gloves were associated with decreases in DMAP and MDA metabolite levels. Despite these protective behaviors, however, participants had significantly higher levels of exposure as compared with a national reference sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions that facilitate compliance with these behaviors may be effective in decreasing fieldworkers' pesticide exposures. However, further efforts are needed to reduce the exposure disparities experienced by farmworkers and decrease the potential for "take home" exposures to farmworkers' families.
Salvatore
Alicia L
AL
Center for Children's Environmental Health Research, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7380, USA.
Bradman
Asa
A
Castorina
Rosemary
R
Camacho
José
J
López
Jesús
J
Barr
Dana B
DB
Snyder
John
J
Jewell
Nicholas P
NP
Eskenazi
Brenda
B
D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D001519:Behavior; D002140:California; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D008294:Malathion / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000652:urine*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000652:urine*; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides; D008294:Malathion