Human and soil exposure during mechanical chlorpyrifos, myclobutanil and copper oxychloride application in a peach orchard in Argentina

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 586; pp. 1254 - 1262
• Main Authors: Berenstein, Giselle, Nasello, Soledad, Beiguel, Érica, Flores, Pedro, Di Schiena, Johanna, Basack, Silvana, Hughes, Enrique A., Zalts, Anita, Montserrat, Javier M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-05-2017
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Argentina; Chlorpyrifos; Chlorpyrifos - analysis; Copper - analysis; Copper oxychloride; Environmental Monitoring; Exposure; Humans; Myclobutanil; Nitriles - analysis; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Oligochaeta; Pesticides - analysis; Prunus persica; Soil; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Triazoles - analysis; Chlorpyrifos; Soil; Copper oxychloride; Exposure; Myclobutanil
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.129

The objective of this study was to measure the impact of the mechanized chlorpyrifos, copper oxychloride and myclobutanil application in a small peach orchard, on humans (operators, bystanders and residents) and on the productive soil. The mean Potential Dermal Exposure (PDE) of the workers (tractor drivers) was 30.8mL·h−1±16.4mL·h−1, with no specific pesticide distribution on the laborers body. Although the Margin of Safety (MOS) factor for the application stage were above 1 (safe condition) for myclobutanil and cooper oxycloride it was below 1 for chlorpyrifos. The mix and load stage remained as the riskier operation.
Pesticide found on the orchard soil ranged from 5.5% to 14.8% of the total chlorpyrifos, copper oxychloride and myclobutanil applied. Pesticide drift was experimentally measured, finding values in the range of 2.4% to 11.2% of the total pesticide applied.
Using experimental drift values, bystander (for one application), resident (for 20 applications) and earthworm (for one application) risk indicators (RIs) were calculated for the chlorpyrifos plus copper oxychloride and for myclobutanil treatments for different distances to the orchard border. Earthworm RI was correlated with experimental Eisenia andrei ecotoxicological assays (enzymatic activities: cholinesterases, carboxylesterases and glutathione S-transferases; behavioral: avoidance and bait-lamina tests) with good correlation.
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•Mean workers (tractor drivers) Potential Dermal Exposure was 30.8mL·h−1±16.4mL·h−1.•Pesticide on the orchard soil ranged between 4.7% and 9.3% of the total applied pesticide.•Total drift values varied from 2.4% to 11.2% of the total applied pesticide.•Bystander, resident and earthworm Risk Indicators were below 1 in all cases.•Earthworm Risk Indicators had good correlation with Eisenia andrei ecotoxicological assays.