January-February 2000, Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages 50 - 57

Article

Biomonitoring and whole body cotton dosimetry to estimate potential human dermal exposure to semivolatile chemicals ROBERT I. KRIEGER1, CRAIG E. BERNARD1, TRAVIS M. DINOFF1, LAURA FELL2, THOMAS G. OSIMITZ2, JOHN H. ROSS3 & THOMAS THONGSINTHUSAK3 1Personal Chemical Exposure Program, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521     2S.C. Johnson Wax, Inc., Racine, Wisconsin 53403     3Worker Health and Safety Branch, Department of Pesticide Regulation, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California 95814     Correspondence to: ROBERT I. KRIEGER, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. Tel: (909)787-3724; Fax: (909)787-5803. E-mail: bob.krieger@ucr.edu      Note: The opinions expressed in this article represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Keywords

chlorpyrifos;   dermal absorption;   dosimetry;   human exposure;   organophosphate insecticide;   pesticide

Abstract

Current methods of estimating absorbed dosage (AD) of chemicals were evaluated to determine residue transfer from a carpet treated with chlorpyrifos (CP) to humans who performed a structured exercise routine. To determine the dislodgeability of residue, a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) roller was applied to a flat cotton cloth upon a treated carpet. Levels ranged from 0.06 to 0.99 µg CP/cm2. Cotton whole body dosimeters (WBD) were also used to assess residue transfer. The dosimeters retained 1.5 to 38 mg CP/person. Urine biomonitoring (3 days) for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) of persons who wore only swimsuits revealed a mean AD of 176 µg CP equivalents/person. The results show that the AD depends on the extent of contact transfer and dermal absorption of the residue. Default exposure assessments based upon environmental levels of chemicals and hypothetical transport pathways predict excessive exposure. The cotton WBD retains chemical residues and may be effectively used to predict dermal dose under experimental conditions. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology (2000) 10, 50-57.

Received 5 June 1998; Accepted 9 June 1999

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