The concentration of pesticide that was inspired by speed sprayer (SS) operatorsin spraying a low toxic organophosphorus pesticide (800-fold to 1000-fold dilutions of wettable agent) were measured by the impinger-one respirator-per man measuring system. The mean ± standard error was 0.01116 ± 0.00191 mg/m3.
The operators were made to perform the spraying task every day, and the organophosphorus pesticide concentration in the serum was gas-chromatographically measured before and after the task on each day. The maximum concentration after daily task was 0.032μg/2ml in an operator, and 0.061μg/2ml in anassistant. The concentration was already trace or undetectable in many of them the following morning. No apparent tendency for the pesticide to be accumulated was observed even in the operators after spraying the pesticide for 2 consecutivedays.
The 24-hour urine was collected from each subject to measure the outputof PNMC (p-nitro-m-crezol). The output tended to be greater in the assistants than in the operators. This finding may be attributed to the fact that the assistants are trasiently exposed to high concentrations of the pesticide in powder form.
