AGRICHEMICAL USAGE PATTERNS AND WORKPLACE EXPOSURE IN THE MAJOR FARMING SECTORS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF SOUTH-AFRICA

Data on agrichemical usage patterns in the southern Cape region (encom passing the Western and Eastern Cape as far as East London) are presen ted for the six agricultural sectors: pome fruit, stone fruit, vineyar ds, wheat, citrus and potato. Agrichemical usage is analysed in terms of the principal classification groups. Results are presented both for quantity of active ingredient as well as for biological equivalent un its based on the amount of active ingredient standardized in terms of the oral LD(50) value. Major chemical hazards in each sector are ident ified and a description is given of how these substances are employed. These findings can be used to characterize the exposure of farm worke rs to agrichemicals in settings where accurate, individually-based dat a on specific chemical usage is unavailable, and is particularly usefu l for epidemiological investigations of potential health effects of th ese substances.