ESTIMATION OF LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES

Quantifying the exposure of agricultural workers to pesticides is diff icult in the face of the heterogeneity of the pesticides used, the var iability in methods of application, and the lack of adequate exposure data. This report describes an attempt to estimate long-term dermal an d inhalation exposure of bulb farmers by the development of an exposur e index. This proposed exposure index consists of generic levels of ex posure specific to the method of application, which were derived from databases as well as from field studies. Tle index is further determin ed by farm-related parameters such as acreage and number of pesticide applications ascertained from questionnaire responses. A widely used d ithiocarbamate mixture served as a marker compound for exposure to oth er pesticides. Ranking of 127 bulb farmers according to calculated lif etime dermal exposure correlated only moderately to ranking based on d uration of exposure, e.g., years of exposure and farm acreage. This fi nding indicates that the proposed exposure index could provide a usefu l estimate of long-term exposure to a mixture of pesticides in epidemi ological investigations. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.