In vivo percutaneous absorption and decontamination of pesticides in humans.

Regulators today face complex problems in assessing the health hazards associated with the use of pesticides. Pesticide exposure occurs at manufacturing, application, work area, and consumption situations, and in the air, water, and soil of our daily lives. The skin is the largest organ of the body and thus has become a major environmental port for pesticides to enter the body. In this paper, we review the principles of percutaneous absorption--the rate and extent that chemicals enter the body through the skin--using data currently available for pesticides.