Potential Dermal Exposure and Risk Assessment for Applicators of Chlorothalonil and Chlorpyrifos in Cucumber Greenhouses in China

ABSTRACT

Occupational exposure to pesticides has not been conducted in depth so far in China. The potential dermal exposure and risk assessment were conducted for applicators through application with a knapsack power sprayer in cucumber greenhouses. The spray suspension was prepared with 75% chlorothalonil WP and 48% chlorpyrifos EC. The dermal patch method was applied to assess the potential dermal exposure (PDE) of applicators during application. The average total PDE on the whole body of applicators during application of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos was 83.2 mL h⁻¹ and 85.1 mL h⁻¹, respectively. The most exposed part of the body was arms, especially the right arm. For risk assessment, the margin of safety (MOS) was calculated from the PDE. The MOS values were 0.1 and 0.2 for application of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos, respectively, both less than 1, which indicated low possibility of health risk.