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RESIDENTIAL INDOOR EXPOSURES OF CHILDREN TO PESTICIDES FOLLOWING LAWN APPLICATIONS
Citation:
Lewis, R G. AND M. G. Nishioka. RESIDENTIAL INDOOR EXPOSURES OF CHILDREN TO PESTICIDES FOLLOWING LAWN APPLICATIONS. Presented at Indoor Air '99, Edinburgh, Scotland, August 9-13, 1999.
Description:
Methods have been developed to estimate children's residential exposures to pesticide residues and applied in a small field study of indoor exposures resulting from the intrusion of lawn-applied herbicide into the home. Sampling methods included size-selective indoor air sampling; wipe sampling of floors, sills, tables; the polyurethane foam (PUF) roller for dislodgeable carpet surface residues; and the HVS3 vacuum sampler for floor dust. Personal exposure samples included hand wipes and morning void urine samples.
Pesticide spray drift was found to result in only a relatively minor increase in indoor pesticide levels. Post-application air intrusion from closed house ventilation and the opening and closing of doors and windows increased indoor background levels 6-fold, while track-in by high activity children and pets, and wearing shoes indoors, increased indoor levels by 37-fold. Indoor 2,4-D levels were found to increase continually over a one-week period, with the increase in indoor air levels corresponding to the increased floor dust levels, suggesting resuspension of house dust by human activity. Similar estimates of non-dietary exposure are obtained from models based on 100 mg dust ingestion and surface contact simulated by the PUF roller.
This work has been reviewed in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's peer and administrative review process and approved for presentation and publication. Mention of tradenames or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.