Assuring health protection for bystanders and residents Thought starter for a mathematical model for estimating short-term and long-term exposure events with plant protection products and a proposal for a step-by-step procedure

Abstract

Abbreviations: A = exposed body surface; AF = concentration factor; AOEL = Acceptable Operator Exposure Level; AR = application rate; ARF = application rate factor; as = active substance; B = density of covering; BA = soil intake; BD = soil density; BT = soil depth; BVL = Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit; bw = body weight; E = mean emission rate; EFSA = European Food Safety Authority; EPA = United States Environmental Protection Agency; EVA = Exposure Via Air; F = area treated per day; H = height of the crop/room height; I* A = specific exposure through inhalation; K = dust concentration in the air; L = length of garden downwind/ length of room; max. = maximum; Perc. = percentile; PPP = plant protection products; R d = dermal absorption; R i = absorption through inhalation; SD = drift; T = total exposure time/ duration of play; u = wind speed; V = tidal volume; WHO = World Health Organisation; ZA = percentage of ornamentals per living space.Abstract: When evaluating the active substances (as) in plant protection products at Community level and authorising plant protection products at national level, health protection for bystanders must be ensured. The bystander (e.g. walker) can come into contact unintentionally with a plant protection product for a short period of time due to plant protection measures, e.g. through spray drift.Another population group, residents, can also be exposed unintentionally to plant protection products. As opposed to the situation for bystanders, this type of exposure is often frequent and occurs over a longer period of time than just a few minutes, either in-or outdoors.In this paper, trial models are presented and a step-by-step procedure for calculating exposure for bystanders and residents. Mitigation measures are also proposed.Both population groups are heterogeneous. The population groups identified as being most at risk with their special behaviour, children up to one-year old and also two to five-year olds, were taken into consideration for the models described.