Monitoring peach harvest workers exposed to azinphosmethyl residues in Sutter County, California, 1991.
Authors
Schneider-F; Steenland-K; Hernandez-B; Wilson-B; Krieger-R; Spencer-J; Margetich-S
Source
Environ Health Perspect 1994 Jun; 102(6-7):580-585
Abstract
Field worker exposure to azinphosmethyl (86500) residues during peach harvest was evaluated via dermal dosimeters and urine and blood analyses. Workers entered orchards 51 days after pesticide application and worked in treated fields for ten of the next 17 days; measurements included foliar residues, urinary alkylphosphate metabolites, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and dermal residues. Dislodgeable foliar residues ranged from 0.82 to 1.72 micrograms per square centimeter over the three week study period. The mean daily dermal exposure for three consecutive monitoring days was approximately 32 milligrams. While BChE values of exposed harvesters were comparable to those of minimally exposed sorters, the exposed group had significantly lower AChE values in postexposure blood draws by three different testing methods; no significant differences were noted in preexposure blood draws. Exposed workers also experienced a 10 to 20% decrease in AChE values over the 3 week exposure period, while values increased or remained constant for sorters. Urinary metabolite excretion increased over sequential monitoring days in both sorters and harvesters. AChE was significantly inversely correlated with urinary phosphates. High correlations were observed between field and laboratory measurements of AChE. Findings were consistent with literature reports of an AChE, but not BChE, effect of azinphosmethyl.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; Occupational-exposure; Agricultural-workers; Skin-exposure; Biological-monitoring; Pesticide-residues; Urinalysis; Blood-analysis; Cholinesterase-inhibitors
Document Type
Journal Article
Source Name
Environmental Health Perspectives
