Tracking pesticide exposure to operating workers for risk assessment in seed coating with tebuconazole and carbofuran

Abstract

BACKGROUND Coating seed with pesticides is an effective way to control plant pests, however, factory‐based coating processes may carry a potential risk to operational workers of chemical exposure. To study the risk, carbofuran and tebuconazole were used to coat corn seed and their subsequent distribution on the bodies of workers was measured at manufacturers XFS and LS (Shanxi, China). Clothing was collected from workers during operations and analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS At XFS, dermal exposure to carbofuran was 4.83, 3.31 and 1.48 mg kg−1, and exposure to tebuconazole was 6.88, 5.16 and 1.72 mg kg−1 for coating, packing and transport workers, respectively. At LS, dermal exposure to carbofuran was 2.32, 0.46 and 0.55 mg kg−1, and exposure to tebuconazole was 1.69, 0.46 and 0.70 mg kg−1, for coating, packing and transport workers, respectively. The level of pesticide exposure was significantly higher for seed‐coating workers than for packing and transport workers. The main area of exposure was the hands for all workers and the lower limbs for packers; exposure was relatively uniform for pesticide handlers. Occupational risk was assessed based on margin of exposure (MOE). In seed‐coating, the MOE was greater than 100 for tebuconazole, indicating no potential risk, but ranged from 0.25 to 2.88 for carbofuran, indicating the risk of a health impact. CONCLUSION The level of exposure varied depending on type of operation undertaken and body parts of workers' body, but the risk of a health impact was highly associated with pesticide toxicity. This provides a guideline for workers in pesticide manufacturing to ensure safe operation of the seed‐coating process. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry

The Problem of Regulating Fungicides on the Skin Surface for Occupational Skin Disease in Agricultural Workers’ Risk Prediction

“…The analysis of the obtained results regarding the predominant localizations of the effect of pesticides on the workers' skin showed similarities with the results obtained in other experiments under other application conditions [11,12,13]. The primary exposure areas for all workers were the hands and lower limbs [11,12]. In the dermal and inhalation risk assessment, the risk index was much lower than 1 (mixing/loading: 0.000, application: 0.014), indicating that vineyard workers are at low risk of exposure to thiamethoxam [12].…”

“…The analysis of the obtained results regarding the predominant localizations of the effect of pesticides on the workers' skin showed similarities with the results obtained in other experiments under other application conditions [11,12,13]. The primary exposure areas for all workers were the hands and lower limbs [11,12].…”

Exposure Routes and Health Risks Associated with Pesticide Application

“…The lifetime carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with dermal exposure to the OCP-contaminated river water were considered nominal for the surrounding populations. Han et al [58] detected the dermal exposure and assessed the risk of pesticide exposure for those involved in the seed-coating process. The results of the study indicated that the levels of chemical exposure varied by the type of work undertaken and the region of a worker's body exposed.…”

Biological seed treatments promote crop establishment and yield: a global meta-analysis

“…The routine-based planting of chemically treated seeds has raised several socio-economic, human health, and environmental concerns. This is because of the poor efficacy or inconsistent effectiveness of chemical seed treatments in controlling seed-and soil-borne pests (Rossman et al 2018;Mourtzinis et al 2019;Lundin et al 2020;You et al 2020;Fadel Sartori et al 2020); risk exposure to operators that treat seeds or handle treated seeds (White and Hoppin 2004;Han et al 2021); development of different forms of human cancer (AGRICAN 2020); and negative effects on non-target organisms such as bees (Rundlof et al 2015;Main et al 2020), birds (Li et al 2020b;Fernández-Vizcaíno et al 2021), and soil beneficial microorganisms (Nettles et al 2016;Zaller et al 2016;Gomes et al 2017). In addition, the planting of chemically treated seeds negatively affects beneficial plant fungal endophytes, involved in plant growth and development thereby reducing early plant growth (Vasanthakumari et al 2019).…”