TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - Acute Pesticide Illnesses Associated with Off-Target Pesticide Drift from Agricultural Applications - 11 States, 1998-2006
JO  - Environmental health perspectives
A1  - Lee, Soo-Jeong
A1  - Mehler, Louise
A1  - Beckman, John
A1  - Diebolt-Brown, Brienne
A1  - Prado, Joanne
A1  - Lackovic, Michelle
A1  - Waltz, Justin
A1  - Mulay, Prakash
A1  - Schwartz, Abby
A1  - Mitchell, Yvette
A1  - Moraga-McHaley, Stephanie
A1  - Gergely, Rita
A1  - Calvert, Geoffrey M.
SP  - 1162
EP  - 1169
VL  - 119
IS  - 8
N2  - Background: Pesticides are widely used in agriculture and off-target pesticide drift results in exposures to workers and the public. Objective: Estimate the incidence of acute illnesses from pesticide drift from outdoor agricultural applications, and describe drift exposure and illness characteristics. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks-Pesticides Program and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Drift included off-target movement of pesticide spray, volatiles, and contaminated dust. Acute illness cases were characterized by demographics, pesticide and application variables, health effects, and contributing factors. Results: During 1998-2006, 2,945 cases associated with agricultural pesticide drift were identified from 11 states. Forty-seven percent had exposures at work, 92% experienced low severity illness, and 14% were children (<15 years). The annual incidence ranged from 1.39 to 5.32 per million persons over the 9-year period. The overall incidence (in million person-years) was 114.3 for agricultural workers, 0.79 for other workers, 1.56 for nonoccupational cases, and 42.2 for residents in 5 agriculture-intensive counties in California. Soil applications with fumigants were responsible for the largest proportion (45%) of cases. Aerial applications accounted for 24% of cases. Common factors contributing to drift cases included weather conditions, improper seal of the fumigation site, and applicator carelessness near non-target areas. Conclusions: Agricultural workers and residents in agricultural regions were found to have the highest rate of pesticide poisoning from drift exposure, and soil fumigations were a major hazard causing large drift incidents. These findings highlight areas where interventions to reduce off-target drift could be focused.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0091-6765
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002843
ID  - ref1
ER  -