The relationship between dermal pesticide exposure by fruit harvesters and dislodgeable foliar residues.

Dermal pesticide exposure rates, expressed in mg/hr, by strawberry and blueberry harvesters and dislodgeable foliar pesticide residues were determined in 7 separate field experiments during 1981-1983 in California and Oregon. The pesticides which were studied included captan, vinclozolin, carbaryl, and methiocarb. A positive correlation between these two parameters was found and compared with literature values involving different pesticides and tree crops. The ratio between dermal exposure rate and dislodgeable foliar residues, the units of which are area/time, may have a possible use as an empirical factor for a first approximation of dermal exposure rates by fruit harvesters without the involvement of human subjects.