The development and use of a universal model to predict tree crop harvester pesticide exposure.

A simple regression model is presented for predicting the transfer of residual foliar applied pesticide to the body of a Florida citrus harvester. This model is dependent on work rate and residue concentration and agrees with an earlier model derived from similar data taken from a California study. This suggests that observed regional differences in the morbidity of harvesters in treated fields may be due to regional differences in foliar pesticide residue levels rather than regional differences in transport mechanisms of pesticide from foliage to worker. Eventual metabolite output in worker urine is also predicted.