Toxicological Risk Assessment of Worker Exposure to Pesticides: Some General Principles

The worker involved in the application of pesticides will in most cases be exposed to some extent to these substances. Whether this exposure represents a health risk depends on: the toxicity of the pesticide in humans; the prevailing occupational exposure conditions; and the prevailing occupational exposure levels. If the exposure levels exceed the levels which may give rise to toxic effects, a health risk exists. The subject of this paper is the assessment whether this risk may occur. It is in particular concerned with: the composition of the toxicological data set which is used as a starting point for risk assessment; the assessment of the critical effect, i.e., the adverse effect which is expected to occur at the lowest exposure levels; the assessment of the highest level to which the worker can be exposed without adverse health effects; the comparison of this level with actual occupational exposure levels, to obtain a quantitative impression of risk.