Exposure agricultural workers

No studies were located regarding absorption of endrin in humans after dermal exposure. Agricultural worker exposure studies demonstrated that dermal exposure (18.7 mg/hour without gloves) was significantly greater than respiratory exposure (0.41 mg/hour) and that workers exposed to endrin received about 0.2-1.5% of atoxic dose per hour of exposure. No adverse effects were reported in the worker cohort (Wolfe et al. 1963). 

Izmirova H. 1980. Methods for determination of exposure of agricultural workers to organophosphorus pesticides. In Tordoir WF, Van Heemstra EA, eds. Field worker exposure during pesticide application. New York, NY Elsevier Sci. Publ. Co., 169-172. 

Respiratory Effects. Increased occurrence of dyspnea and increased respiratory rate were noted in 18 agricultural workers in India who applied endosulfan without protective equipment (both dermal and inhalation exposures probably occurred) (Chugh et al. 1998). 

In occupational settings, exposure to endosulfan is mainly via the dermal and inhalation routes. Although workers involved in the manufacture and formulation of pesticide products containing endosulfan are potentially exposed to high concentrations of the compound, actual exposure is probably limited by the use of engineering controls and personal protection equipment. The highest documented dermal and inhalation exposures have been reported for agricultural workers involved in the spray... 

The National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES), conducted by NIOSH from 1980 to 1983, estimated that 3,205 workers in the agricultural services industry were exposed to endosulfan in the workplace in 1980 (NIOSH 1984). The NOES database does not contain information on the frequency, concentration, or duration of exposure of workers to any chemicals the survey provides only estimates of the number of workers potentially exposed to chemicals in the workplace. 

Methods to determine exposure of pesticides to agricultural workers have developed over the last 30 years at a reasonably slow pace. Some of the first methods to determine agricultural worker exposure to pesticides were developed by Armstrong, Wolfe, and Durham1 as well as Poppendorf.2 Using these methods for research has resulted in the development of several axioms related to agricultural worker exposure to pesticides ... 

Generally speaking, the equipment that workers use and the type of agricultural work performed while handling pesticides or pesticide-treated commodities have a major impact on the level of exposure a worker receives. Neat work habits generally lead to lower exposure for agricultural workers who handle pesticides. The current Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database (PHED), which is used to predict exposure to mixers/loaders/applicators, is based on this concept. 

Chester, G. (1993) Evaluation of agricultural worker exposure to, and absorption of, pesticides, Am. Occup. Hygiene, 37 509-523. 

Dr. Day was a founding member of the Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database (PHED) Task Force, and was instrumental in the development of the database, which is now widely used in the field of pesticide worker exposure. In 1994, he was a key player in the formation of the Agricultural Worker Re-entry Task Force (ARTF) and the Outdoor Residential Exposure Task Force (ORETF), and he served as chairman of the ARTF Technical Committee from its inception in 1994 until his retirement from DowElanco. Dr. Day also served as his company s representative on the Residue Technical Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) from 1989 to 1996. He continues to serve as a consultant to the agrochemical industry. 

A significant reduction in sperm count of agricultural workers was also reported in earlier studies by Takahashi et al. (1981). They examined sperm counts, volume, morphology, and motility in a small sample of agricultural workers in Molokai, Hawaii. Agricultural worker exposure to... 

When used commercially, 2,4-D has produced serious eye and skin irritation among agricultural workers. The direct risks of the chemical to humans makes it an ERA toxicity class Ill-slightly toxic when ingested orally, but toxicity class I-highly toxic, for eye exposure. Immediate, direct, acute, and high-level exposure can injure liver, kidney, muscle, and brain tissues. ... 

Public and regulatory concern over the potential cancer risks posed by pesticide residues in the diet has been significant over the past two decades. While the consumption of foods containing residues of pesticides has not been correlated with the development of human cancers, pestieide exposure has been linked to some cancers in agricultural workers. In most cases, however,... 

Was there Increased risk of exposure to pesticides by the agricultural workers as a result of the CCCs ... 

Almost all reports of fatalities from malathion have involved ingestion The acute oral lethal dose is estimated to be somewhat below l.Og/kg. Nonlethal intoxication has occurred in agricultural workers but usually has been the result of gross exposures with concomitant skin absorption. 

Parikh, J. R., Gokani, V. N., Doctor, P. B., Kulkarni, P. K., Shah, A. R. and Saiyed, H. N. 2005. Acute and chronic health effects due to green tobacco exposure in agricultural workers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 47 494-499. 

Because of accidental exposure to insecticides by children or by agricultural workers, an appreciation of the toxicities of insecticide anticholinesterase inhibitors is medically relevant. 

When these three cancers (soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin s leukemia, and Hodgkin s disease) are considered as a whole, it is noteworthy that the strongest evidence for an association with exposure to phenoxy herbicides is the series of case-control studies conducted by Hardell [Lennart Harden, a Swedish physician] and colleagues and the cohort studies of herbicide applicators and agricultural workers.25 26... 

The F.W.G.P.M. Task Force addressed itself mainly to the problem of organophosphates, and its terms of reference were to identify areas in which information on occupational exposure to workers was unavailable, to make recommendations for the development of research protocols to determine safe reentry levels for the protection of agricultural and forest workers, and to suggest interim reentry standards based on existing knowledge. The report was controversial but drew attention to the lack of a substantial data base and to the urgent need for surveillance of pesticide-related morbidity and mortality and for research to identify factors influencing safe worker reentry levels. 

Comer et al. (2) therefore evaluated the effect of exposure to carbaryl (1-naphthyl methylcarbamate) on formulating plant workers and on workers applying carbaryl to fruit orchards with a tractor-drawn air-blast sprayer. However, information was still needed on the persistence of carbaryl in apple orchards and on the resultant exposure of workers who re-enter treated orchards. Further, no studies had been done on other types of crops. The present study was undertaken to determine the exposure of agricultural workers to carbaryl as a function of type of formulation, application equipment, application method, and type of work performed (i.e., mixer-loader, applicator, flagman, bystander, and apple thinners). 

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