OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES IN FINLAND

The annual use of pesticides in Finland counted as ingredients has bee n around 2000 tons from the seventies. Herbicides, which are mostly us ed in agriculture, are almost 80% of the total use of pesticides. Amou nt of workers occupationally exposed to pesticides is about 170 000. F armers are the largest group among exposed persons. Their number is ar ound 50 000 but their exposure periods last only for few days every su mmer. In greenhouses, around 20 000, and in forestry, nearly 1500 work ers are exposed to pesticides with more regular and longer lasting exp osure than that of farmers. In the Finnish Register of Occupational Di seases, 79 cases caused by pesticides were reported during the years 1 972-1991. Most of the cases were from greenhouses, agriculture and for estry. Typical symptoms in reports were toxic eczema or acute symptoms . Occupational exposure of workers to pesticides in Finland has been m ainly studied by the Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health since 1978. Exposure levels have been evaluated by occupational hygien ic measurements and biological monitoring. Field studies done in agric ulture, forestry and greenhouses revealed that exposure of the workers in most cases is at low level. Skin contamination is the main factor of exposure. Therefore, the use of personal protective clothing is ess ential for minimising exposure. Situations, where risk for exposure is high, are the dilution of formulation before spraying, preparation of equipment on fields, and contamination of skin when the work is start ed immediately after applications on fields and in greenhouses.