[Dosage indicators in farm workers exposed to mancozeb]

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Environmental Science
• Toxicology

Context:

• Farm workers face potential exposure to mancozeb, a widely used fungicide.
• Assessing occupational exposure requires reliable biomarkers for mancozeb and its metabolites.
• Existing monitoring methods for airborne mancozeb and skin contamination need validation.

Purpose:

• To validate dose indicators for mancozeb exposure in agricultural settings.
• To evaluate indirect methods for monitoring airborne mancozeb concentrations.
• To assess skin contamination levels and identify suitable biomarkers for internal dose.

Summary:

• Airborne mancozeb was monitored using carbon disulfide and manganese dosage, with manganese proving more applicable.
• Skin contamination was assessed via pads on overalls and handwashing liquid, showing correlation with air concentration.
• Urinary manganese levels increased significantly after exposure, correlating with environmental data (r=0.667), indicating its utility as a biomarker.

Impact:

• Provides a validated, more applicable method for monitoring occupational mancozeb exposure.
• Highlights the significance of skin contamination in overall exposure assessment.
• Establishes urinary manganese as a reliable indicator of internal dose from mancozeb exposure.