Pesticide use in small periurban agricultural production units in Argentina: Potential Dermal Exposure and mass distribution.

ENRIQUE A. HUGHES, LAURA M. RAMOS, GISELLE A. QUEREJETA, PAMELA A. FLORES, JAVIER M. MONTSERRAT.

Santa Fe

Workshop; 2nd Latin American Workshop on Pesticide Residues; 2009

Universidad Nacional del Litoral

In Argentina, although improvements in the phytosanitary product registration process have occurred in the last ten years, no occupational exposure data are required to obtain a commercial license for a pesticidal product. Consequently very little research has been done to establish exposure levels under typical Argentine use scenarios. The labourer´s exposure situation is particularly delicate in the small scale periurban production units surrounding Buenos Aires city (poor working conditions, lack of education, low technology and manpower dependent). It is quite well established that transdermal absorption through the skin can be the most important pathway for pesticides, under these application conditions. In this sense, it is well accepted that the measurement of Potential Dermal Exposure (PDE) provides vital information on the quantity of a chemical substance that contaminates uncovered body regions and clothing worn by pesticide handlers. Furthermore, it can be used as a base for estimating the risk involved in these activities. The PDE to deltamethrin (insecticide)1 and captan (fungicide)2 of periurban horticultural workers has been measured and compared, analyzing the influence of certain critical parameters like crop type, crop geometry and applicator’s experience. Preliminary results of a mass balance distribution of the pesticide between crop, soil and operators are also presented. In a paralllel set of experiences in greenhouses, floral workers’ PDE has also been measured, and this data are compared with the horticultural situation. All experiments were performed by different operators under typical field conditions using lever operated knapsacks. The applied methodology is based on the whole body dosimetry technique, with pesticide content determined by GC-ECD; the data for mixing/loading and application activities are presented separately.