Resumen
The production and export volume of fruits from China are among the top three in the world. Pesticides are applied to orchards more than 10 times a year to control pests, and stretcher-type power sprayers are widely used to apply chemical pesticides. However, an assessment of pesticide-handler exposure to pesticides in this scenario has not been reported in China. The test pesticide, 30% SYP-9625 concentrate diluted 3000 times, was sprayed on apple orchards in Beijing China. Experiments were conducted to assess dermal and inhalation exposure using standard whole-body dosimetry and air-sampling methodologies. The dermal deposition was the main route of exposure in this study. The dermal unit exposure (UE) of handlers was 350 mg·kg-1 a.i. of SYP-9625. The hands accounted for 59% of the total exposure and were the most exposed body part. Inhalation UE was 0.720 mg·kg-1 a.i. of SYP-9625 and was negligible compared with dermal exposure. We found that use of protective garments while using stretcher-type powers sprayers reduced dermal pesticide exposure. These results can be used as a reference for the handler?s safety in pesticide management and orchard mechanical management.