Cloth pesticides

Exposure to pestieides poses a major hazard for agricultural workers. As a subset of chemical protective clothing, pesticide protective clothing has received much research attention. The effectiveness of the protective clothing is dependant on fabric properties, pesticide characteristics and the combination of both. 

The processing of cotton, from the field to the cloth, releases both inorganic and organic particulate matter to the atmosphere. Also, adhering pesticide residues may be emitted at the cotton gin exhaust. Table 30-19 lists the emission factors for particulate matter from cotton ginning operations. 

Training m the Use of Pesticides Protective Clothing for Use with Pesticides Agricultural pesticides... 

Dermal exposure to methyl parathion is not likely to be a health concern to the general population, with the possible exception of individuals in the immediate vicinity of a field during application of the pesticide. Dermal exposure, however, is a major source of exposure for workers directly involved in the manufacture, application, and cleanup of the chemical, and for field workers. Laundry workers cleaning the clothing of such workers may also be exposed. 

Exposures of Children. Data need to be developed to properly assess the exposure of infants who eat processed baby foods containing residues of pesticides such as endosulfan. Several studies have estimated exposure based on endosulfan concentration found in foods typically eaten by infants however, no studies that directly studied infant exposure could be located. Attention should also be given to infant formulas and to the tap water used to prepare infant formulas from condensed or powdered forms. More data are also required to properly assess endosulfan exposure to children who live, play, or attend school near farmlands that are treated with endosulfan. Maps that catalog endosulfan use on crops and present average application rates would better allow an assessment of the potential for children in farming communities to be exposed. The possibility that farming parents work clothes and shoes may carry endosulfan residues into the home also should be studied. In addition, home use of endosulfan, which may result in exposure of children, needs to be investigated. 

Archibald BA, Solomon KR, Stephenson GR. 1994a. Ruorescent tracer and pesticide penetration through selected protective clothing. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 53(4) 479-485. 

Among the first dermal dosimeters used in exposure research were 4 x 4-in cellulose or gauze patches which were pinned to the outer and inner surfaces of clothing or vests which farm workers would wear during the application or re-entry phase of the smdy. These patches were easy to manufacture and when pinned to the shirt or pants of the worker made for an easily used dosimeter pad. The major advantage to the use of the patch to estimate worker exposure was this method s ability to differentiate the relative contributions of pesticide residues to different parts of the worker s body. This sampling technique in turn could lead to recommendations (i.e., the use of... 

Based on the patch method to assess worker or re-entry exposure, researchers have developed a database, which may be used to estimate exposure. Each patch from an individual in a study can be entered into the database separately, the residue data from patches from various body areas can be summed to yield a whole-body exposure number, and the data may be sorted as to worker tasks, equipment used, protective clothing worn, formulation types and other parameters. This is the basis for the currently used Pesticide Handlers Data Base (PHED), which was developed through a joint effort in the 1980s of CropLife America [formerly known as American Crop Protection Association (ACPA) and National Agricultural Chemicals Association (NACA)], the Environmental Protection Agency (ERA) and Health Canada. " The PHED is discussed in detail in another article in this book. 

Their discoveries—white clothes, cheap soap and sugar, brightly colored washable fabric, clean water, fertilizer, powerful aviation and automotive fuel, safe refrigerants, synthetic textiles, pesticides, and lead-free fuel and food—were enthusiastically embraced by the buying public. Few of us today would want to do without them. 

Determination of the efficiency for pesticide exposure reduction with protective clothing a field study using biological monitoring... 

Chester, G., Loftus, N.J., Woollen, B.H., and Anema, B.P. (1990b) The effectiveness of protective clothing in reducing dermal exposure to, and absorption of, the herbicide fluazifop-P-butyl by mixer-loader-applicators using tractor sprayers, in Book of Abstracts, Seventh International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry, Vol. Ill, Freshe, H. and Kesseler-Smith, E., Eds., Conway, Hamburg. 

Fenske, R.A. (1988) Comparative assessment of protective clothing performance by measurement of dermal exposure during pesticide applications, Appl. Ind. Hygiene, 3 207-213. 

Methner, M.M. and Fenske, R.A. (1994) Pesticide exposure during greenhouse applications. Part II. Chemical permeation through protective clothing in contact with treated foliage, Appl. Occup. Environ. Hygiene, 9 567-574. 

Oakland, B.G., Dodd, R.B., Schabacker, D.J., and Clegg, L.X. (1992a) Preliminary evaluation of nonwoven chemically treated barrier fabrics for field testing of protective clothing for agricultural workers exposed to pesticides, Bull. Environ. 

A 1982 guidance document of the World Health Organization (WHO, 1982) suggested use of loose-fitting, cotton, whole-body dosimeters (WBD) to overcome inefficient sample collection. The California Department of Food and Agriculture recognized the limited usefulness of patch dosimeters for determination of ADD in handler, harvester, and indoor pesticide exposure studies (Maddy et al., 1989). Whole-body dosimeters worn outside or inside standard work clothing may be a suitable means to quantitatively collect... 

When humans contact a chemical residue such as a pesticide on a treated surface, some of the deposit can be dislodged or transferred to skin or clothing. Ultimately, a portion of the amount transferred may be absorbed and constitute the absorbed daily dose (ADD). The ADD provides the most precise estimate of exposure that can be practically obtained for humans and has become the most useful expression of exposure for risk assessment and risk management. 

The first pesticide exposure study was reported by Griffiths et al. (1951). Parathion was trapped on respirator filter discs during application to citrus trees. Batchelor and Walker (1954) expanded exposure monitoring to include the estimation of potential dermal exposure using pads attached to workers clothing. Durham and Wolfe (1962), in their classic review of worker exposure methodologies, also provided some experimental validation for the best available methods. 

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