Over the last five years, the UK Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) has conducted a series of technical development surveys (TDSs)
on occupational exposure to pesticides. In each case, the objectives were to
gather data on use and exposure patterns. An assessment of the organophosphate,
chlorpyrifos, the world's best selling insecticide, is the first TDS to
provide data for agricultural pesticides.
During 1996/97 the HSE carried out a pilot TDS to measure the
exposure of 11 orchard sprayers to chlorpyrifos, extending the survey to a
further 52 sprayers the following year. The results show that potential dermal
exposure during orchard spraying is much more significant than inhalation.
Average inhalation exposure was 16 mg chlorpyrifos per day, whereas dermal
exposure was typically 6,129 mg chlorpyrifos per day.
Full compliance with the personal protective equipment (PPE)
recommendations of both product label and the Green Code (official safety
advice) was poor, with only two out 11 operators in uncabbed tractors complying
fully, and 20 out of 52 operators of cabbed tractors complying fully. The most
widely used PPEs were gloves, overalls, visor and boots.
By the most sensitive detection method (urinary breakdown
products), 20 out of 63 of the operators showed some evidence of chlorpyrifos
exposure above the normal non-agricultural population levels.
These results confirm the long-held suspicion that protective
equipment is not often worn in full. There is also concern that no Acceptable
Operator Exposure Level has been set for chlorpyrifos.
Health and Safety Executive, Exposure to
chlorpyrifos in orchard spraying, Technical Development Survey, 1998, 44pp.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 42,
December 1998, page 14]