SEDL / STP / STP1273-EB / STP19900S

Limiting Dermal Exposure of Workers to Pesticides from Contaminated Clothing

Welch, L
Graduate student, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Obendorf, SK
Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Pages: 9    Published: Jan 1997

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Abstract

The function of traditional clothing materials in reducing pesticide exposure is not fully understood. Most clothing research has focused on primary dermal exposure that results from direct contact with the pesticide and on barrier protective materials. This project measures the transfer of pesticide from contaminated, non-barrior clothing through excised human skin with the goal of further understanding the role of conventional workclothes in reducing worker exposure. The objective of the study was to demonstrate whether an in vitro test method can be used to screen for percutaneous absorption of pesticides transferred via clothing. Cotton denim was contaminated with radiolabeled methyl parathion. The transfer of pesticide from the fabric and subsequent transfer through skin was observed using the Franz diffusion cell. This study demonstrates that a modified Franz diffusion cell technique is a viable method for evaluating the percutaneous absorption of pesticides transferred via clothing.