Department of Geography, University of Munich, Luisenstraße 37, D-80333 Munich, Germany.
Sci Total Environ. 2012 Jul 15;430:202-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.04.019. Epub 2012 May 29.
Quantifying dermal exposure to pesticides in farming systems in developing countries is of special interest for the estimation of potential health risks, especially when there is a lack of occupational hygiene regulations. In this paper we present the results of a dermal exposure assessment for the potato farming system in the highlands of Colombia, where farmers apply pesticides with hand pressure sprayers without any personal protective equipment. The fractioning of the pesticide, in terms of potential and actual dermal exposure, was determined via the whole-body dosimetry methodology, using the tracer uranine as pesticide surrogate, and luminescence spectrometry as analytical method. We assessed the three activities involved in pesticide management: preparation, application, and cleaning; analyzed three types of nozzles: one with a standard discharge and two modified by farmers to increase the discharge; and derived the protection factor given by work clothing. Our results suggest that to reduce the health risk, three aspects have to be considered: (i) avoiding the modification of nozzles, which affects the droplet size spectrum and increases the level of dermal exposure; (ii) using adequate work clothing made of thick fabrics, especially on the upper body parts; and (iii) cleaning properly the tank sprayer before the application activity.
量化发展中国家农业系统中农药的皮肤接触量对于评估潜在健康风险特别重要，特别是当缺乏职业卫生法规时。本文介绍了在哥伦比亚高地马铃薯种植系统中进行皮肤接触评估的结果，农民在该系统中使用手动压力喷雾器施药，而不使用任何个人防护设备。通过全身剂量测定方法，使用尿囊素作为农药示踪剂和发光光谱分析法，确定了潜在和实际皮肤接触的农药分割情况。我们评估了农药管理中的三个活动：准备、应用和清洁；分析了三种类型的喷嘴：一种具有标准排放量，两种由农民修改以增加排放量；并得出了工作服的保护系数。我们的结果表明，要降低健康风险，必须考虑三个方面：（i）避免修改喷嘴，这会影响液滴大小谱并增加皮肤接触水平；（ii）使用由厚织物制成的适当工作服，尤其是在上身部分；（iii）在施药活动之前正确清洁罐式喷雾器。
