title: Ethion exposure and biological monitoring in vegetable farmers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To modify the method of analysis of urinary diethyl phosphate (DEP) in order to determine the relationship between atmospheric ethion concentration and urinary DEP concentration.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting atmospheric ethion in the breathing zone of 28 farmers following the NIOSH 5600 method. Urine samples were also collected to analyze urinary DEP concentrations by a modified method using a Gas Chromatography-Flame Photometric Detector (FPD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average atmospheric ethion concentration in the breathing zone of farmers was 0.036 +/- 0.018 mg/m3. The average urinary DEP in pre-shift and post-shift was 0.030 +/- 0.06 and 0.851 +/- 1.80 mg/g of creatinine respectively. The average DEP during work shifts was 0.53 +/- 0.27, and ranged from 0.12 to 1.16 mg/g of creatinine. A high correlation coefficient (r = 0.645) was found between atmospheric ethion concentrations and urinary DEP concentrations at p < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified method provided a reliable result and the urinary DEP during work shifts was found to be a reliable biomarker of ethion exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. phpkt@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: Pornpimol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kongtip
authors.forename: Sirinnapa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Changfuang
authors.forename: Witaya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yoosook
authors.forename: Suttinun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chantanakul
authors.forename: Dusit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sujirarat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D000383:Agriculture; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000652:urine*; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D007306:Insecticides; D010755:Organophosphates; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds; C100038:ethion; C034789:diethyl phosphate