Journal article
Personal air sampling and risks of inhalation exposure during atrazine application in Honduras
International archives of occupational and environmental health, Vol.86(4), pp.479-488
05/01/2013
DOI: 10.1007/s00420-012-0776-2
PMID: 22729564
Abstract
To assess occupational inhalation exposure to the herbicide atrazine during pesticide application in a developing country.
Personal air samples were collected during atrazine application using a personal sampling pump equipped with an OSHA Versatile Sampler (OVS-2) sorbent tube. Samples were collected from 24 pesticide applicators in Honduras. Application was observed during sampling, and a survey was completed in the home.
Fourteen of the 24 participants used pump backpack sprayers to apply atrazine and 10 used tractor/boom systems. Despite applying about 15 times as much atrazine, the tractor/boom participants (11.5 mu g/m(3)) had only slightly higher (not statistically significant) time-weighted averages (TWA) than participants using backpack sprayers (9.6 mu g/m(3)). Within the backpack sprayer group, those that used a cone spray nozzle (11.54 mu g/m(3)) had nearly double the TWA than applicators using a flat spray nozzle (5.98 mu g/m(3); P = 0.04). In the tractor/boom group, the participants that rode on the boom or the back of the tractor monitoring nozzles (15.0 mu g/m(3)) had almost double the average TWA than tractor drivers (8.0 mu g/m(3); P = 0.097).
Since tractor/boom pesticide application decreases the number of man-hours required to apply pesticides, and does not increase inhalation exposure significantly, it decreases the overall population occupational exposure. Monitoring nozzles on booms from a distance rather than on the back of a tractor or boom may decrease or eliminate inhalation exposure. Use of flat spray nozzles for herbicide application among pump backpack sprayers may reduce their inhalation exposure.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Personal air sampling and risks of inhalation exposure during atrazine application in Honduras
- Creators
- Matthew J. Lozier - University of IowaJose Francisco Lopez Montoya - Secretaria Agr & Ganaderia Honduras, Reg Off, Juticalpa, Olancho, HondurasAlexis del Rosario - University of IowaEsperanza Pintor Martinez - University of IowaLaurence Fuortes - University of IowaThomas M. Cook - Univ Iowa, Coll Publ Hlth, Dept Occupat & Environm Hlth, Iowa City, IA 52242 USAWayne T. Sanderson - University of Kentucky
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International archives of occupational and environmental health, Vol.86(4), pp.479-488
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00420-012-0776-2
- PMID
- 22729564
- ISSN
- 0340-0131
- eISSN
- 1432-1246
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- T42OH008491 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA; National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) T42OH008491 / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA; National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2013
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984364431202771
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