Hygienic estimation of working conditions and hazard indices for persons involved in the application of pesticides on berries and melon cultures in the conditions of personal peasant farms

Abstract

the problems of environmental protection and chemical safety of agricultural workers when working with pesticides are urgent. The assessment of working conditions is a mandatory component to substantiate the principles of risk management of their possible adverse impact on employees. The purpose of the work: conducting a hygienic assessment of working conditions and risks for people who process berry and melon crops with Amistar Gold, Topaz, Uniform, Rydomil Gold, Dual Gold, Vertimek in the private sector, and also substantiation of the regulations for the safe use of these pesticides. Field studies were conducted in Ukraine's different soil and climate regions. The assessment of the danger index (risk) for workers was carried out using data on the content of the studied active substances in the air of the working area and levels of skin contamination following MR 8.8.1.4-162-2009 "Study, assessment and reduction of the risk of inhalation and percutaneous exposure...". Statistical processing of the results was carried out using EZR v. 1.55, MedStat v. 5.2. Аs a result of field studies conducted with the Amistar Gold, Topaz, Uniform, Ridomil Gold, Dual Gold, Vertimek pesticides, no exceedances of hygienic standards were found in the air of the working area and the air above the treated area and in the area of possible aerial drift of the pesticides. Values of percutaneous risk for operators were from 0.00007±0.00005 to 0.069±0.044, inhalation – ranged 0.000003±0.0000025 to 0.005±0.0025, total –0.0001±0.00005 to 0.069 ±0.044, combined – 0.010±0.0016 to 0.017±0.0028. The share of percutaneous risk for operators was in the range of 47.3-99.9%. After analyzing the obtained results, it can be concluded that the percutaneous, inhalation, total and combined risks during knapsack treatment with fungicides Amistar Gold, Topaz, Uniform, Rydomil Gold, herbicide Dual Gold and insecticide Vertimek in the private sector are less than 1, i.e., do not exceed the permissible limit.