Operator contamination during pesticide application to tropical crops.
Ambridge E. M., Haines I. H., Lambert M. R. K.
Author Affiliation: Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on plant protection in the tropics, Genting Highlands, Malaysia, 20-23 March 1990. : 22-28
Abstract : A total of 47 trials were conducted with tracer dyes to determine the extent of dermal contamination of farmers during pesticide application (using knapsack and ULV spinning disc sprayers) to 5 crops in the Philippines, Thailand, Tanzania and Malawi. Contamination patterns and levels varied according to the crop type and height, and the application method. The av. gross dermal deposits of dye were 95 mg/h in coffee, 97 mg in rice, 103 mg in vegetables, 220 mg in cotton and 257 mg in mangoes. The implications of these values for calculations of pesticide contamination of sprayer operators are discussed.