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DERMAL TRANSFER EFFICIENCY OF PESTICIDES FROM NEW AND USED CUT-PILE CARPET TO DRY AND WETTED PALMS
Citation:
Camann, D. E. AND J. M. Clothier. DERMAL TRANSFER EFFICIENCY OF PESTICIDES FROM NEW AND USED CUT-PILE CARPET TO DRY AND WETTED PALMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-00/028, 2000.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this task is to contribute to a better understanding of human exposure to pesticides, especially for small children by developing methods to characterize sources and pathways in and around the residential environment. We will support the science behind FQPA and assist the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) in the development of guidelines for the assessment of residential exposure to pesticides. Specific research objectives include: (i) to evaluate and develop methods for measuring pesticides in air using passive/diffusive samplers. Assess and refine devices for the collection of surface transferable pesticide residues and to establish transfer efficiencies; (ii) to develop and apply analytical methods for new and emerging pesticides using both gas and liquid chromatographic methods in support of the National Exposure Research Laboratory's (NERL) Human Exposure Measurement Project; and, (iii) to conduct pilot studies investigating chiral chromatographic methods.
Description:
This report presents results of a study to determine the transfer efficiencies from carpet to human skin of four pesticides commonly used for residential indoor insect control. Formulations of the insecticides chlorpyrifos, pyrethrin I and piperonyl butoxide were applied to new, cut-pile nylon carpeting by broadcast spray and allowed to dry for 4 hours. Deposition coupons were used to estimate initial surface loadings and the PUF Roller was to measure dislodgeable residues. After the 4-hour drying period, adult volunteers performed hand presses (left and right hands, palm only) with either dry or wetted skin. Water, an aqueous dioctylsulfosuccinate (DSS) surfactant solution, and the participant's own saliva were used as wetting agents. Transfer efficiencies for wetted palms were two to six higher than those for dry palms. The mean (six presses) transfer efficiencies for chlorpyrifos were 1.64% for water-wetted (W), 0.90% for saliva-wetted (S), 1.21% for DSS-wetted, and 0.48" for dry skin (D). Transfer efficiencies for the other two freshly-applied pesticides were higher in most cases (W = 2.50%, S - 1.87%, DSS = 1.39%, and D - 0.32% for pyrethrin I and W = 2.58%, S = 2.03%, DSS = 1.72%, and D = 0.44% for piperonyl butoxide). Transfer efficiencies for aged permethrin residues in used carpet of similar composition were on the same order as those observed for freshly-applied residues: 2.45% for palms moistened with water, 2.3% with saliva, and 0.6% for dry palms.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development funded and managed the research described here under contract 68-D5-0049 to ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc., and ManTech's subcontract 96-0049-01 to Southwest Research Institute. It has been subjected to the Agency's peer and administrative review and has been approved for publication as an EPA document. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.