EVALUATION OF OCULAR HEALTH AMONG ALACHLOR MANUFACTURING WORKERS

Earlier toxicology studies found that one strain of rat (Long-Evans) d eveloped severe ocular lesions when fed high doses of alachlor, a chlo racetanilide active ingredient in some preemergent herbicides used for corn, soybean, and peanut crops. Because of a lack of eye effects in feeding studies conducted in dogs and other rodent species and strains , the effect was believed to be specific to Long-Evans rats. Neverthel ess, to determine whether there were ocular effects among alachlor-exp osed workers, we examined a group of the highest exposed alachlor prod uction workers (n = 135) for the presence of a specific eye abnormalit y, analogous to the initiating lesion in Long-Evans rats, called pigme ntary dispersion syndrome. A similar examination was given to unexpose d coworkers and relatives (n = 84) to provide comparison rates. None o f the exposed workers were found to have pigmentary dispersion syndrom e, and prevalence rates for other eye abnormalities were similar for e xposed and unexposed study participants. These results suggest that hu mans exposed to alachlor are not at increased risk of developing ocula r disease.