Exposure of commercial pesticide applicators to the herbicide alachlor

Presented in this paper are the results of a pilot study to estimate the alachlor inhalation (2-chloro-2’,6’-diethyl-N-[methoxymethyl] acetanilide) and skin exposures of commercial pesticide applicators, who apply a variety of herbicides and insecticides to crop land. Twenty applicators and seven hauler-mixers participated in the study. Inhalation exposures ranged from 0.32 to 6.4 μg/m³, with a geometric mean of 1.6 μg/m³. Alachlor deposition on clothing patches was highly variable, ranging from <0.01 to 32.0 μg/cm². The thigh patches generally received more deposition than patches in other areas. Surface-wipe and hand- and glovewash samples also indicated that the hands frequently were exposed; alachlor concentrations in postshift handwash samples ranged from 3 to 324 μg/sample. The results of the study indicate that commercial pesticide applicators encounter substantial exposures to alachlor and that proper precautions for reducing exposures are not always followed. Practical steps, in particular the use of good work practices, may be taken to reduce exposures in this population.