![]() ![]() Some studies provide data on the pesticide exposure of operators in open-field crops (Wojeck et al. However, pesticide exposure assessment remains a critical issue and exposure levels in real working conditions are poorly known. Numerous epidemiological studies have found associations between occupational pesticide exposure and health issues such as cancers, neurological diseases and reproductive disorders (Blair et al. This study highlights the importance of taking indirect exposures into account during re-entry work in apple growing. Most of the contamination was observed on workers’ hands in all tasks, except for net-opening in which their heads accounted for the most daily contamination. ![]() For these last ones, mixing/loading and equipment cleaning were the most contaminating tasks. ![]() Thus, workers performing re-entry tasks, especially thinning and anti-hail net opening, presented higher contamination, either equal to or higher than in operators. The median dermal contamination per day was 5.50 mg of captan and 3.33 mg of dithianon for operators, 24.39 mg of captan and 1.84 mg of dithianon for re-entry workers, and 5.82 mg of captan and 0.74 mg of dithianon for harvesters. Captan and dithianon were used as markers of exposure. We measured pesticide dermal contamination during each task and made detailed observations of work characteristics throughout the day. Workers’ external contamination and their determinants were assessed over 156 working days corresponding to 30 treatment days, 68 re-entry days and 58 harvesting days. MethodsĪ non-controlled field study was conducted in apple orchards in 4 regions of France during the 20 treatment seasons. The aim of this study was to measure pesticide exposure in apple growing according to tasks and body parts. However, these data are crucial for assessing the health impact of such exposures. ![]() Although apple trees are heavily sprayed, few studies have assessed the pesticide exposure of operators and workers in apple orchards. ![]()
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