A new predictive model for the estimation of agricultural operator exposure has been developed on the basis of new exposure data to improve the current agricultural operator exposure and risk assessment in the EU. The new operator exposure model represents current application techniques and practices in EU Member States (MS) and is applicable for national or zonal authorisation of plant protection products as well as for approval of active substances in plant protection products (PPP) supporting a stepwise risk assessment. 34 unpublished exposure studies conducted between 1994 and 2009 were evaluated for the new model. To ensure a very high quality of data the studies had to meet a set of quality criteria, e.g. GLP conformity or compliance with OECD guidance. Exposure data and supplementary information on the trials were used for a statistical analysis of exposure factors. The statistical analyses resulted in six validated models for typical outdoor scenarios of pesticide mixing/loading and application. As a major factor contributing to the exposure of operators, the amount of active substance used per day was identified. Other parameters such as formulation type, droplet size, presence of a cabin or density of the canopy were selected as factors for sub-scenarios. For two scenarios the corresponding datasets were too small to identify reliable exposure factors; instead the relevant percentiles of the exposure distribution were used. The whole project report on the development of the new model (including the underlying study data) and the corresponding exposure calculators will be published at the BfR website (http://www.bfr.bund.de) after confirmation of the model by EU MS.

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An IOM sampler equipped with glass fiber filter has been recently utilized instead of solid adsorbent, which was used to measure the inhalation exposure of agricultural operator to pesticides. The aim of this study is to validate the efficacy of an IOM sampler by measuring the trapping efficiency and breakthrough using kresoxim-methyl water-dispersible granule and fenthion emulsifiable concentrate. On LC-MS/MS, minimum detection level was 12.5 pg and method limit of detection was 5.0 ng/mL. Good linearity (R 2 > 0.999) for matrix matched standards was obtained. Recoveries of pesticides from glass fiber filter were 102-109% (kresoxim-methyl) and 97-104% (fenthion) while those from XAD-2 resin were 94-98% (kresoxim methyl) and 93-100% (fenthion). Trapping efficiency test was performed with personal air pumps and IOM sampler (glass fiber filter) connected with solid adsorbent (XAD-2 resin) with two types of formulation (solid and liquid) which were diluted by standard rate and sprayed to IOM sampler. Those pesticides were trapped only in glass fiber filter without any breakthrough to solid adsorbent. After spiking of pesticides to glass fiber filter, breakthrough test was carried out with IOM sampler (glass fiber filter) which was connected with solid adsorbent. As a results, 87-101% of kresoxim-methyl and 96-105% of fenthion remained in spiked glass fiber filter, however, no pesticides were detected in second glass fiber filter and solid adsorbent. In conclusion, IOM sampler which equipped with glass fiber filter can be applied widely for pesticide inhalation exposure study since it has good trapping efficiency and adsorption capacity, regardless of the solid or liquid formulation.