Farm workers

Most people are not exposed to methyl parathion in the air they breathe or on things they touch, unless they live next to areas being sprayed. The people who are at the greatest risk of being exposed to methyl parathion are those who work with this chemical. These include farm workers, chemical sprayers, and people who work in factories that make methyl parathion. They are exposed to methyl parathion on things they touch where it can pass through their skin, or by... 

The only study located regarding immunological effects in humans after dermal exposure to endosulfan was an account of the results of patch tests on the backs of 14 farm workers with work-related dermatitis and 8 controls who were not exposed to pesticides (Schuman and Dobson 1985). Skin sensitization was not observed in any of the subjects following a 48-hour, closed-patch exposure to an unspecified amount of 0.1 % endosulfan in petrolatum. 

Schuman SH, Dobson RE. 1985. An outbreak of contact dermatitis in farm workers. J Am Acad Dermatol 13 220-223. 

Field methods for performing farm worker exposure and re-entry studies... 

Farm worker exposure to pesticides has been studied extensively over the past 30 years.This scientitic discipline has evolved from the days when respiratory exposure of farm workers was measured using gauze dosimeters placed inside respirators to collect airborne pesticide residues to very sophisticated air sampling devices and remarkable dosimeter devices to measure dermal exposure to farm workers. ... 

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... 

The purpose of this article is to present a detailed description of the current field methods for collection of samples while measuring exposure of pesticides to farm workers. These current field methods encompass detailed descriptions of the methods for measuring respiratory and also dermal exposure for workers who handle the pesticide products directly (mixer-loaders and applicators) and for re-entry workers who are exposed to pesticide dislodgeable residues when re-entering treated crops. 

The duration of sampling and size of biological samples used to monitor pesticide exposure in farm workers... 

The duration of collection of biological samples from farm workers is determined by the excretion pattern of the active ingredient or its metabolites. Generally, collection will encompass a period of time prior to exposure to about 1-3 days beyond exposure. Background samples should be taken from workers for the 24 h prior to the first application of the test product. This will allow an up-to-date examination of the background levels of the parent or metabolites in the worker s urine. 

Field forms are extremely important for collection of field data during the course of a farm worker exposure study. The following is a list of important uses of field forms for farm worker exposure studies. 

There are many other uses of field forms which are not discussed here but which are critical to the success of a farm worker exposure smdy. 

R.C. Honeycutt, The Usefulness of Farm Worker Exposure Estimates Based on Generic Data, in Dermal Exposure Related to Pesticide Use Discussion of Risk Assessment, ed. R.C. Honeycutt, G. Zweig, and N.N. Ragsdale, ACS Symposium Series 273, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 369-375 (1985). 

As Muller had prophesied and indeed hoped, DDT stimulated the discovery of more synthetic insecticides. DDT relatives included chlordane, toxaphene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, and heptachlor. Popular substitutes for DDT s family included organophosphates such as parathion, which is a powerful neurotoxin, and carbamates, which are also highly toxic to people. Unlike DDT, parathion and aldicarb have killed and injured many farm workers. Malathion was later developed to be several hundred times less toxic than parathion. 

On May 14, 1971, 154 female collective farm workers from the Ilyich Collective Farm in the Krivoozersk Region started work in a beet field one hour after treatment with polychlorpinen. Acute poisoning took place immediately. 

In the summer of 1972 in the Kuybyshev Collective Farm in the Krivoozersk Region, a field was fertilized with ammonia solution 14 days after treatment with polychlorpinen. Twenty-seven female collective farm workers went into the field on the following day (the 15th after treatment with polychlorpinen), and were immediately poisoned. Seven days later they were sent again to the same field, with the same result. 

---