| Measuring Potential Dermal Transfer of a Pesticide to Children in a Child Care Center Elaine A. Cohen Hubal,1 Peter P. Egeghy,2 Kelly W. Leovic,2 and Gerry G. Akland3 1National Center for Computational Toxicology, and 2National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA; 3Private Consultant, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Abstract
Currently, the major determinants of children's exposure to pesticides are not fully understood, and approaches for measuring and assessing dermal exposure in a residential setting have not been sufficiently evaluated. In one approach, dermal exposure is estimated using empirically derived transfer coefficients. To assess the feasibility of using this approach for assessing children's exposure to pesticides, we conducted a study was conducted in a child care center that had a preexisting contract with a pest control service for regular monthly pesticide applications. Children in the selected child care center were monitored using full-body cotton garments to measure dermal loading. Pesticide residues on classroom surfaces were measured in the areas where the children spent time. Measured surface-wipe loadings ranged from 0.47 to 120 ng/cm2, and total garment loadings ranged from 0.5 to 660 pg/cm2. The garment and surface loading measurements were used to calculate dermal-transfer coefficients for use in assessing children's residential exposure to pesticides. Dermal-transfer coefficients calculated using these data range from approximately 10 to 6,000 cm2/hr. The wide range in these values demonstrates the importance of developing standard surface-measurement protocols if this approach is to be used to assess dermal exposure in a residential environment. The upper-range values resulting from this study were found to be similar to the default value used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess children's dermal exposures resulting from contact with indoor surfaces. Key words: children, dermal exposure assessment, dermal-transfer coefficients, FQPA, pesticide exposure. Environ Health Perspect 114:264-269 (2006) . doi:10.1289/ehp.8283 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 20 September 2005]
Address correspondence to E.A. Cohen Hubal, U.S. EPA, National Center for Computational Toxicology, Mail Drop B143-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA. Telephone: (919) 541-4077. Fax: (919) 541-0905. E-mail: hubal.elaine@epa.gov We thank the participating child care center, the center staff, and especially the children, who were extremely tolerant of our intrusion into their little world. We also thank M. McCombs and L. Cauble of RTI International for their diligent conduct of field activities. This manuscript has been reviewed in accordance with the U.S. EPA's peer and administrative review policies and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 4 May 2005 ; accepted 19 September 2005.
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