METHODS FOR MEASURING DERMAL PENETRATION OF PESTICIDES

The quantitation of percutaneous absorption of pesticides is required as part of the registration, re-registration or hazard assessment proc ess. There is a paucity of regulatory guidelines in this area. This pa per presents three protocols that can be used to quantitate percutaneo us absorption, primarily as a result of continuous skin exposure over a period equivalent to a working day (8 hr). A rat in vivo protocol, a n in vitro protocol and a human in vivo protocol are described. None o f these protocols is considered to be ideal and/or to represent a pref erred method. The final choice of protocol must take into account the toxicity and physicochemical properties of the test molecule as well a s cost and resource/technical ability. Nevertheless, the protocols des cribed allow percutaneous absorption to be quantitated, and it is beli eved that, if adopted, they will prove useful in the regulatory and re search areas for the acquisition of data under standard defined condit ions.