Non-dietary personal pesticide exposure using silicone wristbands across 10 European countries

Individuals are exposed to pesticides via dietary and non-dietary exposure routes. There is a growing need for aggregated exposure estimates across occupationally and non-occupationally exposed populations. Exposure to current-use and legacy pesticides was studied using silicone wristbands worn by farmers, residents living close to treated fields (neighbors), and the general population (consumers), in total, 641 participants across 10 European countries. Wristband extracts were analyzed for 193 pesticides by targeted Liquid and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Information on exposure predictors, such as frequency of cleaning, was collected by questionnaire. Logistic regressions and multivariable generalized least squares models were used to study predictors of pesticide occurrence and concentrations, respectively. We detected 173 out of 193 pesticides (89 %) across all samples. Per wristband 9 - 74 (median of 36) pesticides were detected in conventional farmers (FC), 8 - 66 (median of 20) in organic farmers, 3 - 66 (median of 20) in neighbors and 2 - 54 (median of 17) in consumers. Insecticides, like permethrin and chlorpyrifos, were commonly detected across all groups (>85 %). Concentrations varied significantly across groups, with the highest levels often observed in FC. We identified pesticide use and having pets as important predictors of personal non-dietary exposure. Mixture analysis revealed one major combination (in 72 % of all samples) of three insecticides, namely permethrin, chlorpyrifos, DDE p,p', and the synergist piperonyl butoxide. This study highlights that farm workers using a conventional farming system are a highly exposed group. It is unclear what the identified prevalent mixtures mean for cumulative exposure and resulting health risks.