• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2007

This research was carried out to propose the Korean method for estimating the agricultural occupational pesticide exposure level in orchard. The UK-POEM (UK-Predictive Operator Exposure Model) was proposed as a bench-marking model and analysed its performance properties. To extrapolate the Korean agricultural conditions, application equipment, application method, work rate per day, application volume and spraying time of pesticide was surveyed for Korean 204 orchard farmhouse. This survey indicate that the major application equipments are speed sprayer(64.9%) and motor sprayer(33.9%). When they spayed the pesticide with a speed sprayer, they worked for more than 4 hours on area of 4 ha per day. In case of using motor sprayer, they worked for more than 4 hours on area of 1 ha. Based on the above survey result, Korean method for estimating the pesticide exposure level of agricultural worker was proposed finally.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.507-528
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• 2011

Agricultural workers who mix/loads and spray pesticide in fields expose to pesticide through dermal and inhalation routes. In such situation, exposed amount should be measured quantitatively for reasonable risk assessment. Patch, gloves, socks and mask will be good materials for monitoring for dermal exposure while personal air monitor equipped with solid adsorbent and air pump will be a tool for inhalation exposure. For extrapolation of absorbed amount in dermal exposure matrices and of trapped amount in solid sorbent to total deraml or inhalation exposure, Korean standard body surface area and respiration rate were proposed in substitution of EPA data. Important exposure factors such as clothing and skin penetration ratio of dermal and inhalation exposure were suggested based on Spraying time for exposure monitoring must be long enough that the amount of pesticide to get absorbed/trapped in exposure matrices results in reasonable analytical value. In domestic case for the both of speed sprayer and power spray machine, spraying time of 20~40 minutes (0.1~0.2 ha) will be reasonable per single replicate before extrapolating to 4 hours a day with triplicates experiment.

• Life and Agrochemicals
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• v.29 no.1 s.234
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• pp.24-27
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• 2008

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.342-349
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• 2014

Methods of establishment of AOEL (Acceptable Operator Exposure Level), application of oral absorption by country, and calculation of exposure dose for operator risk assessment in USA, EU and Korea were investigated. Oral absorption of 141 active substances for pesticides was also investigated, then operator risk assessment was conducted with AOEL including oral absorption and Korean AOEL. Internal dose converted to external dose with oral or dermal absorption in USA and EU, but external dose to which oral absorption was not applied was used for establishment of AOEL in Korea. Oral absorption of 50 active substances among 141 were below 80%. In case of application of oral absorption as a correction factor in below 80%, AOELs of about 36% active substances were considered to be lower than the current Korean AOELs. Operator risk assessment of 28 active substances among 50 active substances with oral absorption below 80% was conducted with EU AOELs. TER (Toxicity Exposure Ratio) of 12 plant protection products including chlorothalonil WG (Water-dispersible Granule) was less than 1 and the risk was high. Operator risk assessment of 24 active substances among 50 active substances with oral absorption below 80% was conducted with Korean AOELs. TER of 6 plant protection products including chlorothalonil WG were less than 1 and the risk was high. Operator risk assessment of 4 plant protection products not having Korean AOEL was conducted with converted EU AOEL into AOEL not including oral absorption. The results indicated TER of 4 products including daminozide WP (Wettable Powder) was over 1 and risk was low. 22 products except 6 products such as oxadiagyl SC (Suspension Concentration) were shown the same results of risk assessment between EU AOELs and Korean AOELs. As a result, it was considered that AOELs including oral absorption was possible to be used for operator risk assessment. It was considered operator risk assessment with AOEL including oral absorption was more like real assessment method, and improvement of assessment was needed for application to evaluate pesticides in registration.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.357-365
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• 2011

Exposure measurement of agricultural worker to pesticide is one of important part of health risk assessment of pesticide. Therefore exposure matrices, apparatus, instruments and methods must be validated in advance to field experiment. In this study, method validation with an organophosphorus insecticide fenthion was carried out for exposure monitoring of agricultural worker. LOD and LOQ were 0.01 and 0.05 ng, respectively. Calibration curve linearity ($R^2$ > 0.999) and reproducibility (C.V. < 3%) were also excellent. Recovery at LOQ, 10LOQ and 100LOQ levels from gloves, socks, mask, patch, solid sorbent, glass fiber filter was 76~113% (C.V. < 3%). Trapping efficiency was 95~105% while no breakthrough was observed. Method validation for the exposure monitoring was established successfully through several experiments. Such method validation can be usually performed in laboratory and not much different for each pesticide so that, this techniques will be applied widely in research for pesticide exposure monitoring by combination with body surface area and respiration rates.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

This study was performed to evaluate the exposure level of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide to floriculture workers and florists. The urinary dialkylphosphates, metabolites of organophosphorus insecticides, including dimethylphosphate (DMP), diethylphosphate (DEP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), diethylthiophosphate(DETP) and pyrethroids of metabolites, cis/trans DCCA, DBCA, and 3-PBA were analysed to evaluate the exposure of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide to floriculture workers and florists. The concentration of DMP is highest in floriculture workers. but the concentration of DETP is highest in retail florist. The concentration of 3-PBA is highest in floriculture workers. The amount of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide expusure is highest in flower workers, wholesale florist and retail florists are followed. The management for reducing pesticide exposure to floriculture workers and wholesale florist is required.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2005

Pesticide risk assessment for pesticide operators as well as for consumers has become one of the pesticide regulatory tools to reduce any unreasonable adverse health effects from pesticide use. The risk for pesticide operators can be quantified by comparing the acceptable operator exposure level(AOEL) with exposure level during pesticide application. This study is to evaluate the risk of benzimidazole fungicides application worker. The exposure level of pesticide applicators were calculated using Japanese operator exposure study tested with EPN 45% EC. The AOELs for pesticides were obtained dividing relevant lowest no observed abuse effect levels(NOAELs) for the exposure scenario into uncertainty factor, 100. For the non-cancer and cancer occupational risk assessment, $Q_1^*$ produced by US/EPA and life time average daily dose(LADD) calculated from average daily dose(ADD), treatment days per year, worked years for life time were used. Operator exposure for benzimidazole fungicides application were benomyl 0.2, carbendazim 0.36 and thiophanate-methyl 0.42 mg/kg/day. Short-term AOELs for benomyl, carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl were 0.3, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg/day, and long-term AOEL were 0.025, 0.025, 0.08 mg/kg/day, respectively. LADDs were benomyl 0.0038, carbendazim 0.0067, thiophanate-methyl 0.0081 mg/kg/day. The ratios of exposure to AOEL were $0.28{\sim}1.5$ for short-term and $3.73{\sim}9.88$ for long-term. Cancer risk for operator were $9.12{\times}10^{-6}$ for benomyl, $1.61{\times}10^{-5}$ for carbendazim and $1.13{\times}10^{-4}$ for thiophanate-methyl by the standard application scenario. The result showed 3 fungicides exceed the risk criteria, $1.0{\times}10^{-6}$. The above risk assessments were based upon conservative assumptions and therefore are believed to be protective of the applicator. To refine the risk at the more actual conditions, further risk assessment with more realistic data would be needed.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of biological monitoring to determine the factors that influence the effects of exposure to pyrethroid pesticides among highland cabbage farmers. Urine was collected from farmers who was cultivating Chinese cabbage in the relatively highground in Gangwon-do the morning following pesticide application and was analyzed for cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcy-clopropane carboxylic acid (DCCA) and 3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylic acid (DBCA). Factors affecting exposure to pesticides, such as wind speed, spraying location, and the use of protective gear, were also investigated. Statistical analysis was performed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Our analysis indicated that highland cabbage farmers were exposed to a higher level of pesticides than the general public or other types of farmers. When the wind speed was low, workers who sprayed pesticides were exposed to a higher level of pesticides compared to the exposure level in an assistant. However, there was no difference in exposure between the two when wind speed was high.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2014

The present study was carried out to assess exposure and risk to thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for agricultural worker during mixing/loading and application with power sprayer in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields. Dermal exposure was measured with patches, gloves, socks and masks, while inhalation exposure was evaluated with personal air pump and solid sorbent. Those methods were full validated before experiment. During mixing/loading, dermal exposure amount in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $24.0{\pm}6.7$, $4.5{\pm}1.5$ and $18.5{\pm}0.6mg$, corresponding to mean 0.007, 0.001 and 0.005% of prepared active ingredient, respectively. The major exposed part for mixer/loader was hands (78-92%). Dermal exposure amount for applicator in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $84.9{\pm}14.0$, $34.0{\pm}20.8$ and $30.7{\pm}9.1mg$, corresponding to mean 0.024, 0.016 and 0.013% of applied active ingredient, respectively. The main body parts of exposure in apple field were hands, while thighs and shins in other fields. Inhalation exposure amount in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $1.5{\pm}2.2$, $52.7{\pm}48.9$ and $4.0{\pm}4.9{\mu}g$ during mixing/loading and $0.2{\pm}0.1$, $23.2{\pm}12.4$ and $0.4{\pm}0.6{\mu}g$ for applicator, respectively. These results were suggested that main factors affecting dermal exposure were contact frequency to the plants, foliage density, hygienic behavior, work type, and working environment, while inhalation exposure was affected mainly by working environment, especially wind. In risk assessment, margin of safety for thiophanate-methyl in all cases was over 1. However, during application in green pepper field, margin of safety was close to 1.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2013

This study was performed in order to assess the risk of pesticide operator in korean rice paddy. The amount of exposure was calculated based on the informations of 48 kind of items that are used the form of a spraying in korean rice paddy. The risks of these pesticides were assessed to compare the exposure dosage with AOEL (acceptable operator exposure level) which was released form developed countries. When the operator spraying pesticides using motor sprayer, 17 items showed the risk for operator if the operator have not worn the personal protective equipment (PPE), and 6 items showed the risk for operator if the operator have worn the PPE. These result were indicated that the risk of pesticide operator was very high in korean rice paddy.