December 12th, 2017
This report presents results of a study to determine the transfer efficiencies from sheet vinyl flooring to human skin of three pesticides commonly used for residential indoor insect control. Formulations of the insecticides chlorpyrifos, pyrethrin I and piperonyl butoxide were applied to new, sheet vinyl flooring by broadcast spray and allowed to dry for four hours. Deposition coupons were used to estimate initial surface loadings and the PUF Roller was to measure dislodgeable residues.After the 4-hour drying period, adult volunteers performed hand presses (left and right hands, palm only) with either dry or wetted skin. Water and the participant’s own saliva were used as wetting agents. Transfer efficiencies for wetted palms were 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than those for dry palms. Themean (six presses) transfer efficiencies for chlorpyrifos were 5.22% for water-wetted (W), 4.38% for saliva-wetted (S), and 1.53% for dry skin (D). Similar transfer efficiencies were measured for piperonyl butoxide: W – 4.8%, S – 4.1%, and D – 1.4%. Transfer efficiencies for pyrethrin I wereabout twice as high as those for the other two pesticides: W – 11.9%, S – 8.9%, and D – 3.6%.