In vitro inhalation bioaccessibility and health risk assessment of difenoconazole in the atmosphere

Assessment of the risk of pesticide inhalation in populations around farmland is necessary because inhalation is one of the ways in which pesticides can risk human health. This study aimed to identify the inhalation risk of difenoconazole on humans by using dose-response and exposure assessments.

In the field simulation application, respiratory exposure in populations around farmland ranged from 71 to 430 ng/m³ . Using response surface methodology, the maximum bioaccessibility of difenoconazole in three simulated lung fluids was 35.33% in Gamble's solution (GS), 34.12% in artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF), and 42.06% in simulated interstitial lung fluid (SLF). Taking the proliferation activity of the A549 cell model as the endpoint, the benchmark dose limit and benchmark dose of difenoconazole on A549 cells were 16.36 and 5.60 mg/kg, respectively. The margin of exposure to difenoconazole in GS, ALF and SLF were, respectively, 8.66 × 10⁵ to 5.28 × 10⁶ , 8.97 × 10⁵ to 5.47 × 10⁶ and 7.28 × 10⁵ to 4.44 × 10⁶ .

The risk assessment results indicate that under all circumstances, applying difenoconazole is safe for populations around farmland. However, a fan-shaped nozzle, suspension concentrate and greater inhalation height increase the risk of inhalation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.