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A FEASIBILITY STUDY EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN HEALTH EXPOSURE TO PET-BORNE DIAZINON RESIDUES FOLLOWING RESIDENTIAL TURF APPLICATIONS
Citation:
Morgan, M K., D M. Stout II, AND N K. Wilson. A FEASIBILITY STUDY EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN HEALTH EXPOSURE TO PET-BORNE DIAZINON RESIDUES FOLLOWING RESIDENTIAL TURF APPLICATIONS. Presented at ISEA 2000 Exposure Analysis in the 21st Century: Integrating Science, Policy and Quality of Life, Monterey Peninsula, CA, October 24-27, 2000.
Impact/Purpose:
1. To identify those pesticides, pathways, and activities that represent the highest potential exposures to children;
2. To determine the factors that influence pesticide exposures to children;
3. To develop methods for measuring multimedia exposures to children, including methods that account for important activities that take place in home, school, and day care settings;
4. To generate data on multimedia pesticide concentrations, pesticide biomarkers, and exposure factors that can be used as inputs to aggregate exposure models for children.
Description:
The domestic dog may be a vehicle for translocation of pesticide residues following residential applications to turf. In addition, human occupants may be exposed to residues deposited inside homes by pets or by intimate contacts with them. This study examines the potential of an indoor/outdoor, high activity dog to transport insecticide residues physically into a residence after an application of a granular diazinon formulation to the lawn. A family of four with a high activity indoor/outdoor dog, who intended to apply granular diazinon to their lawn, was recruited to participate. Samples were collected approximately three hours before application and on days 0, 3, 9, and 15 after application. Family members completed time-activity diaries recording their general daily activities at the residence. Measurements made outside the house included a sample of diazinon formulation that was applied, deposition samples over the treated area, soil, turf transferable residues, and entryway deposits on a doormat. Inside the home, airborne residues and HVS3 vacuum sweepings were collected in the living room. Hand wipes were collected from the mother and her two children. Fur clippings, fur wipes, and paw wipes were collected from the dog. The soil, turf transferable residues, and doormat levels were initially increased over pre-application levels, but declined substantially by day 15. Indoor air concentrations of diazinon also increased above background levels after application. The mother and one child had levels of residues above background on their hands on days 0, 3, 9, and 15 post-application. Residues above background levels were present on the dog's paws and fur on days 0, 3, 9, and 15 post-application. These results suggest that dogs may transfer pesticides into homes following lawn applications. Additional studies are planned to clarify further the role of pet dogs in translocating residues and the resulting potential for human exposure.
This work has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication.