Assessment of airborne pesticide exposure among the general population. An outdoor air study conducted at four sites in the Hérault department in 2006
Pesticide contamination of the environment has led public authorities to examine the potential health risks associated with this type of exposure. Beyond issues of water and food contamination, this project aims to assess the general population’s exposure to pesticides through inhalation. Pesticide analyses in the air were conducted at four sites in the Hérault department. Surveys were conducted among pesticide users near the measurement sites to establish a link between the levels measured in ambient air and pesticide use. The results show a low number of compounds in the air, which may be due to favorable weather conditions. Four compounds were detected outside the treatment period and four others during the treatment period, with lindane being the common denominator. While the detection of chlorpyrifos-ethyl and flusilazole in the air could be linked to their application, this is not the case for folpel and procymidone, two fungicides used in viticulture that were found outside the treatment period, and in urban and semi-rural areas. This study provided insights into pesticide air pollution and enabled the formulation of recommendations. Improvements in sampling and analytical methods, along with modeling the dispersion of substances in the air, would allow for more precise exposure estimates. Establishing toxicological reference values for active ingredients, solvents, or additives, tailored to the respiratory tract, would allow for a more refined assessment of health risks. In the meantime, it is advisable to recommend the use of techniques that minimize the dispersion of particles or their resuspension in the air. (R.A.)
Author(s): Ricoux C
Publishing year: 2009
Pages: 55 p.
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