Page 10 - Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2010

1

Laboratory of Pesticides Toxicology, Benaki Phy-

topathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-145 61 Ki-

fissia (Athens), Greece

Corresponding author:

k.machera@bpi.gr

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal

3:

9-16, 2010

Determination of operator exposure levels to pesticides

during greenhouse applications with new type multi-nozzle

equipment and the use of two different protective coverall

types

A.N. Tsakirakis

1

, K.M. Kasiotis

1

, P. Anastasiadou

1

and K. Machera

1

Summary

In the present study, the operator exposure levels during fungicide applications in green-

house-grown pepper with a novel application tool were determined. For the monitoring of dermal ex-

posure, the whole body dosimetry method was applied. The inhalation exposure was measured by

means of personal air pump. Ten applications were carried out with Novi-F (4 nozzles) in Tympaki, Her-

aklion Prefecture, Crete, Greece and the application duration ranged from 39-77 min. A fully validat-

ed GC-ECD analytical method was applied for the determination of iprodione in/on the used personal

protection equipment and quality control samples. The recovery ranged between 79 and 98% and the

corresponding RSDs were <4.2%. Dermal exposure, both potential (PDE) and actual (ADE), was meas-

ured with two different types of outer coveralls (Hydrofoil® and Cotton) as dosimeters. From the re-

sults of the present work it is worth mentioning that the ADE, which reflects the actual dermal expo-

sure when Hydrofoil® coverall was used,

is drastically reduced compared to the respective values for

the cotton coveralls. However, operator exposure levels using Novi-F are much higher than the respec-

tive levels determined with conventional spray gun application.

Additional Keywords:

greenhouse, operator exposure, pesticides, protective coveralls

native to the traditional application equip-

ment. The Novi-F tool is a T-shaped spray

gun device having four nozzles (i.e. two pairs

placed at each end) and allowing the opera-

tor to hold it horizontally underarm with the

two nozzle pairs oriented towards the crop

at the height of the operator’s shoulder and

waist, respectively. This new type of equip-

ment was pilot-tested as an alternative to

the conventional spray guns used normally

by the operators in the greenhouses of the

Tympaki region (Heraklion Prefecture, Crete,

Greece), as it was introduced in the market

as more convenient and less time consum-

ing than the traditional knapsack sprayers or

the hand-held spray guns.

In a previous greenhouse study, the per-

formance of two different protective cover-

all types was tested, compared and evaluat-

ed. The performance evaluation was related

to penetration resistance properties and the

overall degree of provided protection for

the operator (2, 4). In the present study, the

Introduction

Assessment of operator exposure during

field applications of plant protection prod-

ucts is one of the most critical aspects for

the operator safety (3, 6 ,7). Greenhouse ap-

plications are considered to be high expo-

sure scenarios for the operators. In Greece,

greenhouse applications are usually car-

ried out with hand-held application tech-

niques that involve either knapsack sprayers

or spray guns connected via a hose to the

pump and a spray tank. Operator exposure

trials have been performed in the past ad-

dressing the two aforementioned appli-

cation techniques and different personal

protection equipment (PPE) types (2, 5). In

the present study, a novel application tool,

called Novi-F, has been studied as an alter-