Dermal in vitro penetration of methiocarb, paclobutrazol, and pirimicarb: Effect of nonylphenolethoxylate and protective gloves

Dermal exposure has become the major route of human occupational exposure t o pesticides. Detergents are used as part of formulated pesticide products and are known to change the barrier properties of human skin in in vitro. H owever, studies on the influence of detergents as well as protective glove materials on dermal penetration of pesticides are scarce. In an experiment using in vitro static diffusion cells mounted with human skin, we evaluated the effect of nonylphenol-ethoxylate on dermal penetration of three extens ively used pesticides-methiocarb, paclobutrazol, and pirimicarb-and the pro tection against dermal penetration offered by protective gloves made of lat ex or nitrile. There was a general tendency, though not statistically signi ficant for all pesticides, for nonylphenolethoxylate to decrease the percut aneous penetration of the three pesticides. The nitrile generally offered b etter protection against percutaneous penetration of pesticides than did la tex, but the degree of protection decreased over time and depended on the p esticides used.