In application of organophosphorus pesticides (800-fold dilution of Sumithion and 1500-fold dilution of Diazinon) for the control of disease and insect damages to apples, the amount of exposure to the pesticides, blood levels of the pesticides, and liver function tests of the workers engaging in the application work were observed. Its summary was as follows;
1. The concentration of pesticides inhaled by each worker engaging in the fixed piping joint control was calculated as 0.030±0.042mg/m³ (mean±S. E.).
2 Analysis of the correlation between the inhaled amounts of pesticides and the air velocity disclosed that was a statistically significant positive correlation between the two parameters. Therefore, it will be necessary for the workers engaging in the application of pesticides to amply consider the factor of wind in actual application.
3. Both the serum levels of organophosphorus pesticides and the urinary excretion of p-nitro-m-crezol measured were low.
4. In view of the above-mentioned current amounts of exposure to pesticides, no acute effects of the pesticides were manifest on the liver function tests.
5. However, because the fixed piping joint control system employs the lance application (hand application), the applicator is more liable to be exosed to large amounts of pesticides, the exposure amount being 2.7 times that of speed sprayer (SS) operator.
6. It is not rare that women and the aged engage in the fixed piping joint control; therefore, it is necessary to educate ample care in the protection of workers from exposure to pesticides.