title: [Occupational exposure to pesticides among farmers of the Łódź' voivodeship agricultural area].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pesticides are widely used in agriculture for the crop protection. Despite advanced mechanization of the agricultural production, the population's exposure to these chemicals is still significant. The objective of the study was to evaluate farmers' occupational exposure to two most frequently used pesticides: MCPA and 2,4-D.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 farmers, living in the Łódź voivodeship agriculture area, for 71 sprayings performed on their arable areas. The exposure assessment methods were used to estimate workers' exposure to selected pesticides (MCPA and 2,4-D). The analysis covered the biological material (urine) collected on the day of pesticides spraying: in the morning before spraying (Sample A), in the evening after spraying (Sample B) and on the next day (Sample C).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of pesticides found in farmers' urine was growing from sample A to sample C. The highest level of pesticides was found in sample C and the lowest in sample A. The predictors of the pesticide level were: sample collection time (urine concentration of pesticides in sample C compared with sample B) (p = 0.002), concentration of pesticides in sample A (p = 0.012) and the amount of products used during spraying (p = 0.021). 'The use of protective equipment was at the border of statistical significance (p = 0.059). The differences in exposure between farmers can be only partly explained by the analyzed exposure predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study not only confirmed the presence of occupational exposure but also showed the level of exposure among farmers under study. This is very important because in Poland the level of exposure among farmers is unknown and studies using the biological monitoring are very rare.
authors: Zakład Epidemiologii Srodowiskowej, Institut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera, Łódź. joannaj@imp.lodz.pl
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Jurewicz
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Hanke
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Sobala
authors: Danuta
authors: D
authors: Ligocka
authors: Małgorzata
authors: M
authors: Gawora-Ziółek
mesh_terms: D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D008456:2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006540:Herbicides / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006540:Herbicides; D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; D008456:2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic Acid