Estimating pirimicarb exposure to greenhouse workers using video imaging.

Exposure of greenhouse chrysanthemum workers to the pesticide pirimicarb was measured by the Video Imaging Technique to Assess Exposure (VITAE) along with air monitoring and biological assessment techniques. Workers at five commercial chrysanthemum operations were video imaged prior to debudding plants which had been treated with a fluorescent tracer and the pesticide, pirimicarb, 36-48 h earlier. After 1-4 h of debudding, workers were again imaged and the rates of tracer deposition determined with the VITAE system. Tracer deposition from contact with treated foliage was found to increase in a linear fashion over 4 h. Greatest deposition occurred on the hands and arms and represented 42% and 20% of total exposure, respectively. No detectable air residue samples of pirimicarb were found while workers were debudding plants. Monitoring of four workers for pirimicarb and its urinary metabolites revealed no detectable residues following 4 h of contact with foliage, which had been treated 48 h earlier.