Contribution of household dust to the human exposure to pesticides
Starr, H.G.; Aldrich, F.D.; MacDougall, W.D.; Mounce, L.M.
Pesticides Monitoring Journal 8(3): 209-212
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-6156 PMID: 4142653 Document Number: 72258
As preliminary analyses had suggested that household dust is a major reservoir of pesticides in the environment, a study of the households of pesticide-exposed persons and control households in Weld Country, Colorado, was carried out in 1968. Appreciable levels of selected chlorinated insecticides were found in the blood of persons in the 'exposed' group. Exposed subjects varied from entire farm families with high agricultural use of pesticides to households with at least one member who formulated pesticides, either as an employee of a local factory or by mixing and preparing pesticides for commercial use. In the overall data no quantitative relations were demonstrated between pesticide levels in household dust and pesticide levels in blood, although circumstantial data from individual households indicated a certain connection. No correlation could be shown between levels of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE in household dust. Pesticide levels in the dust indicate a probable influence on body burden contributing to total environmental exposure of the individual to pesticides.
Document emailed within 1 workday
