Indoor Air Exposure to Multiple Agricultural Pesticides Potentially Posing the Highest Risk to Young Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT \n \nAgricultural production is a critical economic activity in many African countries, where pesticides are used extensively to improve crop yield and quality. Potential health effects resulting from indoor exposure to agricultural pesticides are very concerning and children are particularly vulnerable. This case study examined indoor exposure to and risks from agricultural pesticides. Indoor air samples were collected on spraying days from households of 15 pesticide applicators and 12 non-applicators in communities close to (~200 m) and surrounded by sugarcane fields in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Southern Africa. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of samples revealed mean concentrations of 0.75, 0.32, 0.57 and 0.004 µg m-3 for ametryn, atrazine, pendimethalin and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), respectively, in the applicator households and corresponding concentrations of 0.19, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.003 µg m-3, respectively, in the non-applicator households. Notably, the indoor pesticide concentrations in the non-applicator households greatly exceed those in published data, and the ametryn and pendimethalin levels in the applicator households are significantly greater than those in non-applicator households. Daily inhalation exposures to these pesticides resulted in Hazard Index 95th percentile values greater than 1.0 among children aged 3 years and younger in the applicator households. Thus, the take-home pathway, spray drift, and household-to-field distance are important factors associated with indoor pesticide exposure and health risks, and the take-home pathway is the most important. Applicators are advised to shower and change into clean clothes before returning home to their families. This advice is critical for the many families living near agricultural land throughout Africa.