Exposure to Pesticide in Greenhouses.

VernacularTitle:ハウス内農薬散布時の散布者の曝露
Author: Yoshihiro KUWABARA ; Shigeko UEDA ; Masao YOSHIDA
Publication Type:Journal Article
From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1992;41(4):970-974
CountryJapan
Language:Japanese
Abstract: Exposure of applicators to metalaxyl was assessed during the spraying to greenhouse cucumbers by power sprayers. Of four applicators wearing work clothes with a hood, a mask and gloves, two moved forward holding the nozzle in their hands so that they passed through the area sprayed by them. The other two went backward and sprayed both sides. Each of the applicators sprayed 14 to 18 g of metalaxyl during one hour of application. The estimated systemic expoure level in the forward moving group was 1 to 10 mg, 3 to 40 times higher than the exposure level of 0.25 to 0.29 mg in the backward group. But, skin exposure was insignificant or not detected in both groups. Also it was suggested that respiratory exposure was higher in the forward moving group than that in the backward group. In conclusion, when applying metalaxyl by any spraying techniques, the risk of poisoning was thought to be negligible under this research condition. However, the workers should employ the spraying technique moving backward, and be protected with suitable protective gear for preventing acute or chronic pesticide intoxications.