TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term occupational and environmental exposure to penconazole and tebuconazole by hair biomonitoring
AU - Mercadante, Rosa
AU - Polledri, Elisa
AU - Moretto, Angelo
AU - Fustinoni, Silvia
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Penconazole (PEN) and tebuconazole (TEB) are fungicides widely used in vineyards. The aim of this the study was to assess the suitability of hair to assess long-term exposure to PEN and TEB. Hair samples of agricultural workers exposed to PEN (AW-PEN, 18 subjects) or TEB (AW-TEB, 2 subjects) during the application of fungicides, agricultural workers relatives (AR, 4 subjects), and research staff technicians (RS, 5 subjects) were collected before (PRE-EXP) and after (POST-EXP) the application season. PEN in PRE-EXP samples was quantifiable in all AW and AR (medians from 1.4 to 7.9 pg/mg hair) and in one RS (1.4 pg/mg hair); PEN in POST-EXP samples was always quantifiable (medians from 2.6 to 23.7 pg/mg hair), with higher levels in AW. Comparing PRE- vs. POST-EXP samples, an increase in PEN level in AW and RS was found. TEB in PRE-EXP samples was quantifiable in most AW and AR (median from 2.1 to 15.5 pg/mg hair), but not in RS; TEB in POST-EXP samples was similarly quantifiable in AW and AR, and was quantifiable also in RS (from 1.4 to median of 141.3 pg/mg hair). Comparing PRE- vs. POST-EXP samples, an increase in TEB level in AW and RS was found. In AW, a positive correlation between the number of PEN treatments during the season and the POST-EXP level of PEN in hair was found (N = 8, Spearman rho = 0.794, p = 0.019). Our results suggest that PEN and TEB accumulate in hair during the agricultural season and that hair is a promising matrix for biomonitoring long-term exposure.
AB - Penconazole (PEN) and tebuconazole (TEB) are fungicides widely used in vineyards. The aim of this the study was to assess the suitability of hair to assess long-term exposure to PEN and TEB. Hair samples of agricultural workers exposed to PEN (AW-PEN, 18 subjects) or TEB (AW-TEB, 2 subjects) during the application of fungicides, agricultural workers relatives (AR, 4 subjects), and research staff technicians (RS, 5 subjects) were collected before (PRE-EXP) and after (POST-EXP) the application season. PEN in PRE-EXP samples was quantifiable in all AW and AR (medians from 1.4 to 7.9 pg/mg hair) and in one RS (1.4 pg/mg hair); PEN in POST-EXP samples was always quantifiable (medians from 2.6 to 23.7 pg/mg hair), with higher levels in AW. Comparing PRE- vs. POST-EXP samples, an increase in PEN level in AW and RS was found. TEB in PRE-EXP samples was quantifiable in most AW and AR (median from 2.1 to 15.5 pg/mg hair), but not in RS; TEB in POST-EXP samples was similarly quantifiable in AW and AR, and was quantifiable also in RS (from 1.4 to median of 141.3 pg/mg hair). Comparing PRE- vs. POST-EXP samples, an increase in TEB level in AW and RS was found. In AW, a positive correlation between the number of PEN treatments during the season and the POST-EXP level of PEN in hair was found (N = 8, Spearman rho = 0.794, p = 0.019). Our results suggest that PEN and TEB accumulate in hair during the agricultural season and that hair is a promising matrix for biomonitoring long-term exposure.
KW - Agricultural workers
KW - Biomonitoring
KW - General population
KW - Hair
KW - Penconazole
KW - Tebuconazole
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U2 - 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.06.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85049060677
VL - 298
SP - 19
EP - 24
JO - Toxicology Letters
JF - Toxicology Letters
SN - 0378-4274
ER -