Rees H
Occupational Health Department, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Occup Environ Med. 1996 Apr;53(4):258-63. doi: 10.1136/oem.53.4.258.
To measure the exposure of a group of farmers to organophosphate pesticide in sheep dip, and to record the incidence of symptoms after exposure.
A prospective study of the autumn 1992 dipping period. Working methods were assessed by questionnaire. Absorption of organophosphate pesticide was estimated before, immediately after, and six weeks after dipping by measuring plasma cholinesterase, erythrocyte cholinesterase, and dialkylphosphate urinary metabolites of organophosphates. Symptoms were recorded by questionnaire at the same time as biological monitoring. Possible confounding factors were identified by medical examination of the subjects.
Three community council electoral wards in Powys, typical of hill sheep farming areas in Wales.
All (38) men engaged in sheep dipping living in the three community council electoral wards.
23 sheep farmers and one dipping contractor completed the study--a response rate of 63%. A sample of seven men who refused to enter the full study had similar working practices to the 24 subjects. Subjects reported inadequate handling precautions, and significant skin contamination with dip. Two men reported under diluting dip concentrate for use. Both had significant depression of erythrocyte cholinesterase after dipping. This indicated some absorption of organophosphate pesticide--but this did not reach levels usually associated with toxicity. It was not clear whether the symptoms of these two mens were caused by organophosphate exposure. Measurement of dialkylphosphate urinary metabolites in a single specimen of urine voided shortly after the end of dipping could not be correlated with individual exposure.
Sheep dipping is strenuous and dirty work and sheep farmers find it difficult to wear personal protective equipment and avoid skin contamination with dip. In this limited study, farmers did not seem to have significant organophosphate toxicity, despite using inadequate handling precautions.
测定一组农民在羊浴液中接触有机磷农药的情况，并记录接触后症状的发生率。
对1992年秋季浸浴期进行的一项前瞻性研究。通过问卷调查评估工作方法。在浸浴前、浸浴后立即以及浸浴后六周，通过测量血浆胆碱酯酶、红细胞胆碱酯酶以及有机磷的二烷基磷酸尿代谢物来估计有机磷农药的吸收情况。在进行生物监测的同时，通过问卷调查记录症状。通过对受试者的医学检查确定可能的混杂因素。
位于威尔士典型山地养羊区的波伊斯郡的三个社区议会选举选区。
居住在这三个社区议会选举选区的所有（38名）从事羊浸浴工作的男性。
23名养羊农民和1名浸浴承包商完成了研究，回复率为63%。7名拒绝参与完整研究的男性样本与24名受试者的工作方式相似。受试者报告称处理预防措施不足，且皮肤被羊浴液严重污染。两名男性报告在使用时未充分稀释羊浴液浓缩剂。两人浸浴后红细胞胆碱酯酶均显著降低。这表明有一些有机磷农药的吸收，但未达到通常与毒性相关的水平。尚不清楚这两名男性的症状是否由有机磷接触引起。浸浴结束后不久采集的单次尿液样本中二烷基磷酸尿代谢物的测量结果与个体接触情况无关。
羊浸浴工作繁重且脏污，养羊农民发现难以穿戴个人防护装备并避免皮肤被羊浴液污染。在这项有限的研究中，尽管使用的处理预防措施不足，但农民似乎没有明显的有机磷中毒情况。
