Use of engineering controls and personal protective equipment by certified pesticide applicators.

A convenience survey of 702 certified pesticide applicators was conducted in three states to assess the use of 16 types of engineering controls and 13 types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Results showed that 8 out of 16 engineering devices were adopted by more than 50% of the respondents. The type of crop, size of agricultural operation, and the type of pesticide application equipment were found to influence the adoption of engineering controls. Applicators working on large farms, users of boom and hydraulic sprayers, and growers of field crops were more likely to use engineering devices. Respondents reported a high level of PPE use, with chemical-resistant gloves showing the highest level of compliance. An increase in pesticide applicators wearing appropriate headgear was reported. The majority of respondents did not wear less PPE simply because they used engineering controls. Those who did modify their PPE choices when employing engineering controls used tractors with enclosed cabs and/or were vegetable growers.

Pesticide deposition on coveralls during vineyard applications.

Deposition of pesticide on the clothing of the applicator was studied in a commercial vineyard using two different application technologies. A typical air-assisted sprayer with centrifugal fans delivered a concentrated spray. A tunnel or hooded sprayer was used at two carrier rates-high volume, low concentration versus low volume, high concentration-to apply Dithane M-45, an agricultural fungicide, at 3,375 g/ha on a light to medium density canopy. Deposition of pesticide was on the coveralls worn by the operator for all applications with a deposition range of 0.43 to 0.63 ng/cm2. The deposition on the clothing was higher for the air-assist sprayer than for the hooded sprayer. However, reducing the volume of water in the non-air assist hooded sprayer offered no advantage in terms of decreasing operator exposure. While the deposition of pesticide on the coveralls of the applicator was fairly uniformly distributed on the garment surface, the neck, shoulder, and upper right arm of our right-handed operator had the highest amount of pesticide deposit and the lower left quadrant of the garment had the lowest deposition. Results of this study indicate that vineyard applicator exposure can be reduced by use of the hooded non-air assisted sprayer and that extra protection is needed in the region of the neck, shoulder, and arm, and attention to the habits of the tractor driver is required.http://link.springer-ny. com/link/service/journals/00244/bibs/37n2p273.html

Starch as a renewable finish to improve the pesticide-protective properties of conventional workclothes.

Because many pesticide handlers persist in wearing and reusing conventional workclothes, a renewable functional finish that enhances the pesticide-protective qualities of fabrics would be useful. This study investigated the ability of starch to act as a pesticide trap, preventing transfer and increasing removal by laundering, and the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose on release of pesticide in laundry. The retention and distribution of methyl parathion (MeP) on 65% polyester/35% cotton fabric was studied with four finishes: starch and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as nondurable finishes; durable press resin (DP) and durable press/carboxymethyl cellulose (DP/CMC) as durable finishes. Starching with an add-on of 8% (w/w) effectively reduced the area of contamination and enhanced the removal of methyl parathion from polyester/cotton fabrics. Residual pesticide values for CMC, DP, and DP/CMC finishes were similar to that of the unfinished fabric. While distribution profiles of methyl parathion throughout the yarn and fiber structures were similar for all the finishes, lower concentrations of pesticide were observed on the cotton fibers from the starched fabric. Starch reduced the pesticide transferring by rubbing from both 100% cotton and 65% polyester/cotton fabrics. These studies support the intriguing theory that starch can act as a pesticide trap on the fabric surface to decrease pesticide transfer and to enhance pesticide removal. Extensive penetration studies, field studies, and additional investigation of fiber, yarn, and fabric parameters are needed to further quantify the effects of starch.