Pesticide handler

EPA has an active research program in progress on methodology and quantitation of pesticide exposure to pesticide handlers and... 

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. 

Means and standard deviations for these distributions were normalized to daily breathing rates (m3/day), and an acceptable range was defined. It was assumed that the "day" represents the duration of time within a working day that chlorpyrifos may be handled by an individual (0.25 to 6.0 hr). It was also assumed that exposures would be negligible for the remainder of the working day following application or other contact. Both the dermal and inhalation exposures were assumed to follow lognormal distributions, which is consistent with common practice for exposure data distributions (for example, in the Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database, PHED). 

Exposure assessments are commonly done using computer modeling (e.g., Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database [PHED]). Computer modeling was not used for cyromazine 75 WG because of the limited information in the database on wettable powders packed in water-soluble bags at the time the study was planned. 

Pesticides Handlers Exposure Database (PHED) software, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Health and Welfare Canada, National Agricultural Chemicals Association (U.S.) software originally issued February 1992 with subsequent upgrades. 

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. 

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. 

An individual s absorbed dose is assumed to be proportional to the amount of a.i. applied. In this paper that proportion (mg a.i. absorbed/lb a.i. applied) is derived from the exposure information in USEPA s Pesticide Handlers Database (PHED, 1992) and herbicide-specific absorption data. PHED provides exposure information on 12 parts of the body (as opposed to the body as a whole). For each body part, PHED provides data on the amount of active ingredient that comes into contact with that body part per pound of active ingredient applied (amount inhaled or amount of dermal contact per pound applied). The PHED data used here assume that the individual is wearing normal clothing and gloves but not additional protective devices such as aprons or respirators. Based on atrazine- and simazine-specific studies conducted by Syngenta, the fraction of atrazine and simazine absorbed as a result of dermal contact is 0.056 when the exposure is less than or equal to 8. ig/cm2, 0.012 for exposures greater than or equal to 80 i,g/cm2, and a linear interpolated value for intermediate exposures. The fraction of the inhaled atrazine or simazine that is assumed to be absorbed is 1.0. 

Pesticide handler is one who prepares a pesticide for application and/or applies the pesticide. 

Pesticide Handlers Exposure Data Base (PHED) (1992). Notice of availability of the pesticide handlers exposure data base through Versar, Inc. Fed. Reg., 57(107) 23403, June 3. 

Assessment of Exposure for Pesticide Handlers in Agricultural, Residential and Institutional Environments... 

INTRODUCTION 14 PESTICIDE CATEGORIES 15 PESTICIDE HANDLERS 15 Agricultural Pesticide Handlers 15 Tasks Performed by an Individual 16 Factors Affecting Exposure 16 Residential and Institutional Pesticide Handlers 18 Families of Pesticide Handlers 19 STUDY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 20 Worker Stratification 21 Routes of Exposure 21 Respiratory Exposure 21 Dermal Exposure 21 Sampling Strategy Selection 21 Statistical Analysis 22 PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS 22 PESTICIDE EXPOSURE MONITORING METHODS 23 Passive Dosimetry 23... 

In 1992, the USEPA published its Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Final Rule (USEPA, 1992). This WPS contains provisions intended to inform agricultural employees about the hazards of pesticides, and provides specific protective clothing requirements for pesticide handlers. In conducting any field study, the... 

The USEPA concluded that the unit exposures from both the passive and biological monitoring studies were within an order of magnitude of the values in the Pesticide Handler Exposure Database (PHED, 1992). 

The field of pesticide exposure assessment is complex and challenging. Exposures occur through multiple routes and are highly variable. Risks associated with pesticide handling differ substantially for the different activities and from those experienced by agricultural re-entry workers. Different assessment and control strategies are needed for each population. Eamilies of pesticide handlers can be... 

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