| Accumulation of Chlorpyrifos on Residential Surfaces and Toys Accessible to Children Somia Gurunathan,
1,2
Mark Robson,
1
Natalie Freeman,
1
Brian Buckley,
1
Amit Roy,
1
Roy Meyer,
3
John Bukowski,
4
and Paul J. Lioy
1
1
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08855 USA
2
Joint Ph.D. Program in Exposure Assessment, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers, and The UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08855 USA
3
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Pesticide Control Program, Trenton, NJ 08625 USA
4
University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada Abstract
Quantitative examination of major pathways and routes of exposure to pesticides is essential for determining human risk. The current study was conducted in two apartments and examines the accumulation of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in childrens' toys after the time suggested for reentry after application. It has been established for the first time that a semivolatile pesticide will accumulate on and in toys and other sorbant surfaces in a home via a two-phase physical process that continues for at least 2 weeks postapplication. A summation of the above for a 3-6-year-old child yielded an estimated nondietary total dose of 208 µg/kg/day. Potential exposure from the inhalation pathway was negligible, while dermal and nondietary oral doses from playing with toys contributed to 39 and 61% of the total dose, respectively. If children with high frequency mouthing behavior are considered as candidates for acute exposure to chlorpyrifos residues, the estimated acute dose could be as high as 356 µg/kg/day. Routine reapplication of pesticides could lead to continued accumulation in toys and other sorbant surfaces, e.g., pillows, with large sorbant reservoirs, which can become a long-term source of exposure to a child. Estimates of a child's nondietary exposure to chlorpyrifos associated with toys and other sorbant surfaces for a period of 1 week following application appear to be of public health concern, and studies of actual childhood exposure from this pathway are warranted in the home environment. The above information should be used to determine if current procedures for postapplication reentry are sufficient and to evaluate the need for procedures to store frequently used household toys, pillows, and other sorbant objects during insecticidal application. Key words : childrens' toys, chlorpyrifos, nondietary exposure and dose, particle deposition, pesticide application, pesticide residuals, semivolatile pesticide, surface wipes, volatilization. Environ Health Perspect 106:9-16 (1998) . [Online 9 January 1998]
http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106p9-16gurunathan/ abstract.html Address correspondence to P.J. Lioy, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, P.O. Box 1179, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1179 USA. The authors wish to thank Rufus Edwards, Stephanie Hamel, Richard Opiekun, Scott Petlick, Karyn Reed, Tom Wainman, and Matthew Wund for field support and guidance. This research was supported with funds provided by cooperative agreement CR821902 as a subcontract from the Research Triangle Institute for the National Human Exposure Assessment Study and, in part, by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Pesticide Control Program. P.J.L. and N.F. are also supported by an NIEHS Center of Excellence contract (ES-05022) . All laboratory facilities were associated with the Exposure Measurement and Assessment Division, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Center of Excellence. This paper has not gone through official EPA review procedures ; thus, it should not be considered to have approval, and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the EPA. Received 15 May 1997 ; accepted 7 November 1997.
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