Agricultural workers using pesticides, risks

A recent study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found that woman agricultural workers exposed to certain pesticides during the first three months of pregnancy had double the risk of giving birth to deformed children. Some of the chemicals used in the study—dichlorvos, aldicarb, mancozeb, captan and naled— are used in the flower industry and other agricultural activities in Columbia. More than 60% of flower workers in Colombia are women. 

The last section is a discussion of the use of experimental data to arrive at risk assessment as recommended by states such as California, Canadian governmental regulatory agencies, and industry. These parties share a common goal, namely to make the workplace safe for agricultural workers who are exposed to pesticides through normal work activities. 

This book provides an up-to-the-minute picture of the current status of research on measurement and risk assessment of dermal pesticide exposure for agricultural workers. The chapters also provide an insight into some newer areas (applications of mathematical models, use of fluorescent tracer materials, and extrapolation from a computer data base of generic pesticide exposure data) that will undoubtedly be receiving increased attention in the future. 

Until recent years, research devoted to the pesticide exposure of agricultural workers was essentially nonexistent. It has been established that a major source of exposure to toxic chemicals is the use of such chemicals in agricultural production. In general, applicators and mixer/ loaders have the hipest exposure risk. Mary studies have shown the exposure to applicators skin to be well over 90% of their total exposure. The only significant type of barrier available to applicators to reduce dermal contact and hence exposure is protective clothing. 

The chemical is banned. Banned for import, production, having in possession and use as agricultural pesticide. All formulations and uses were prohibited by the final regulatory action. Very high acute toxicity, extremely hazardous and risk to workers in formulation plant and during application by spraying. 

In assessing risk it is necessary to consider each use of the pesticide, the potential alternatives which may be used to fill a pest control vacuum and their relative risk, the individual and collective risks to users of the pesticide, workers exposed in subsequent agricultural or other activities, consumers of treated food, people who live nearby and those exposed through environmental contamination. Other descriptors of the nature of the risks are also germane ... 

Exposure by workers in the manufacture of agricultural chemical products or by the mixer, loader or applicators who use these products may be considerable. Thus, the risk to these workers may be greater than to the consumer of treated products. The two recognized major routes of exposure are inhalation and topical. However, contrary to what was first believed, topical exposure constitutes the major route and it is for this reason that interest in percutaneous absorption of pesticides has increased to a considerable degree. 

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