Levels and determinants of pesticide exposure in re-entry workers in vineyards: results of the PESTEXPO study.
Physical contact with branches, leaves, fruit or vegetables in previously treated crops is responsible for the transfer of pesticides to the worker's skin in agricultural tasks such as harvesting, pruning, thinning, cutting or sorting. Few studies have documented workers' exposure during re-entry in vineyards. In the PESTEXPO study, we described levels of exposure and analyzed their determinants during re-entry and harvesting in vineyards in the Bordeaux area, France. Between 2002 and 2007, volunteers performing re-entry tasks (N=46 days) or harvesting (N=48 days) after dithiocarbamate or folpet treatment were observed. Detailed information on the tasks was collected and dermal contamination was assessed using patches placed on the skin and hand-washing at the end of each working phase. Daily median contamination was 1 967.7 μl of mixture during re-entry (90(e) percentile: 5 045.3 μl) and 18.7 μl during harvesting (90(e) percentile: 911.4 μl). The type of task was the parameter found to be the most strongly associated with contamination. For re-entry, the highest contaminations were observed during raising of wires and cutting of branches. During the harvest, the contamination was maximal for grape-picking. The delay since the last treatment and the rate of active ingredient per hectare played a role, together with other factors such as meteorological factors, crop and farm characteristics, gloves and clothes. Our results underline the necessity to take into account exposures during re-entry and harvest when considering pesticide exposure, both for epidemiological research and preventive action.
Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Service de Médecine du Travail, F-33000 Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: Isabelle.Baldi@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr.
Isabelle
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Baldi
INSERM, UMR1086-Cancers et Préventions, F-14000 Caen, France; Univ. Caen Basse-Normandie, F-14000 Caen, France; Centre François Baclesse, F-14000 Caen, France.
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Lebailly
Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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Bouvier
INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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Rondeau
INSERM, UMR1086-Cancers et Préventions, F-14000 Caen, France; Laboratoire Départemental Frank Duncombe, F-14000 Caen, France.
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Kientz-Bouchart
Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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Canal-Raffin
Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
A
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Garrigou
D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D012867:Skin; D027843:Vitis
D010575:Pesticides
Exposure modeling; Field study; Harvesting; Pesticides; Re-entry tasks