Alison Connolly1, Kate Jones2, Karen S Galea3, Ioannis Basinas3, Laura Kenny2, Padraic McGowan4, Marie Coggins5. 1. Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50, Ireland. Electronic address: a.connolly22@nuigalway.ie. 2. Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Harpur Hill, Buxton, SK17 9JN, UK. 3. Centre for Human Exposure Science (CHES), Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, EH14 4AP, UK. 4. Irish Commissioners for Public Works, Jonathon Swift Street, Trim, Co Meath, C15 NX36, Ireland. 5. Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50, Ireland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pesticides and their potential adverse health effects are of great concern and there is a dearth of knowledge regarding occupational exposure to pesticides among amenity horticulturalists. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure occupational exposures to amenity horticuturalists using pesticides containing the active ingredients, glyphosate and fluroxypyr by urinary biomonitoring. METHODS: A total of 40 work tasks involving glyphosate and fluroxypyr were surveyed over the period of June - October 2015. Workers used a variety of pesticide application methods; manual knapsack sprayers, controlled droplet applicators, pressurised lance applicators and boom sprayers. Pesticide concentrations were measured in urine samples collected pre and post work tasks using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differences in pesticide urinary concentrations pre and post work task, and across applications methods were analysed using paired t-tests and linear regression. RESULTS: Pesticide urinary concentrations were higher than those reported for environmental exposures and comparable to those reported in some agricultural studies. Log-transformed pesticide concentrations were statistically significantly higher in post-work samples compared to those in pre-work samples (paired t-test, p<0.001; for both μgL-1 and μmol/mol creatinine). Urinary pesticide concentrations in post-work samples had a geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) of 0.66 (1.11) μgL-1 for glyphosate and 0.29 (1.69) μgL-1 for fluroxypyr. Linear regression revealed a statistically significant positive association to exist between the time-interval between samples and the log-transformed adjusted (i.e. post- minus pre-task) pesticide urinary concentrations (β=0.0039; p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Amenity horticulturists can be exposed to pesticides during tasks involving these products. Further research is required to evaluate routes of exposure among this occupational group. Crown
BACKGROUND: Pesticides and their potential adverse health effects are of great concern and there is a dearth of knowledge regarding occupational exposure to pesticides among amenity horticulturalists. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure occupational exposures to amenity horticuturalists using pesticides containing the active ingredients, glyphosate and fluroxypyr by urinary biomonitoring. METHODS: A total of 40 work tasks involving glyphosate and fluroxypyr were surveyed over the period of June - October 2015. Workers used a variety of pesticide application methods; manual knapsack sprayers, controlled droplet applicators, pressurised lance applicators and boom sprayers. Pesticide concentrations were measured in urine samples collected pre and post work tasks using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differences in pesticide urinary concentrations pre and post work task, and across applications methods were analysed using paired t-tests and linear regression. RESULTS: Pesticide urinary concentrations were higher than those reported for environmental exposures and comparable to those reported in some agricultural studies. Log-transformed pesticide concentrations were statistically significantly higher in post-work samples compared to those in pre-work samples (paired t-test, p<0.001; for both μgL-1 and μmol/mol creatinine). Urinary pesticide concentrations in post-work samples had a geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) of 0.66 (1.11) μgL-1 for glyphosate and 0.29 (1.69) μgL-1 for fluroxypyr. Linear regression revealed a statistically significant positive association to exist between the time-interval between samples and the log-transformed adjusted (i.e. post- minus pre-task) pesticide urinary concentrations (β=0.0039; p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Amenity horticulturists can be exposed to pesticides during tasks involving these products. Further research is required to evaluate routes of exposure among this occupational group. Crown
Authors: Christina Gillezeau; Maaike van Gerwen; Rachel M Shaffer; Iemaan Rana; Luoping Zhang; Lianne Sheppard; Emanuela Taioli Journal: Environ Health Date: 2019-01-07 Impact factor: 5.984
Authors: Daniel Grau; Nicole Grau; Quentin Gascuel; Christian Paroissin; Cécile Stratonovitch; Denis Lairon; Damien A Devault; Julie Di Cristofaro Journal: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Date: 2022-01-12 Impact factor: 5.190