Skin exposure: requirements to methods determining active ingredient of pesticides in washings

Abstract

The article presents results of studies exemplified by diquat on analysis concerning influence of lower limit value of quantitative assessment in washing sample for safety coefficient in exposure and in absorbed dose, if acting substance is absent in workplace ambient air samples and in dermal washings of workers. To control diquat in dermal washings, there is a method based on ion-pair liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (working wavelength 310 nm). To concentrate sample, cartridges for solid-phase extraction, containing ion exchange sorbent (Oasis MCX 6cc/500 mg), are used. Lower limit of assessment in washing sample — 0,15 micrograms. Experimentally set washing completeness is within range of 80–92%, standard deviation of repetition is 7,0% at most. The method created was tested in nature studies determining dermal exposure in workers subjected to 5 various preparations based on diquat dibromide when used for surface spraying from tractor and from aircraft. For lower limit of detection in washing sample (0,15 micrograms/washing), calculated risk value of exposure varied within 0,26–0,36; risk of absorbed dose was low — 0,23 (the allowable one ≤1). Findings are that present measuring methods which provide lower limit of detection 1 and 5 micrograms in washing sample could result in unallowable risk establishment even with absence of the substance in all samples of workplace air and dermal washings. The calculation formula suggested enables to give theoretic basis for requirements to lower limit of detecting active substances in dermal washing samples for evaluating risk of pesticides use in agriculture.