Chemical Risk Assessment in Agriculture: A New Methodological Approach

There is a growing concern about the possible negative effects on the population (not only workers) and the environment deriving from the incorrect use of plant protection products (PPPs). So, some years ago, the European Union established a regulatory framework on the sustainable use of PPPs with Directive 2009/128/EC. In each operational phases involving PPPs, a greater or lesser exposure risk for workers may arise depending on the intrinsic hazardousness of the active principle, the levels of exposure and absorption into the body through the various pathways of penetration (ingestion, inhalation, contact), and the manner and frequency of use. A complete knowledge and detailed assessment of the effects of PPPs is complex to be obtained because toxicological tests are performed on active substances but not on commercial formulations or preparations on the market. Moreover, exposure to PPPs has its greatest consequences for human health when it occurs in chronic form, i.e. at low doses but prolonged in the course of professional activities. The aim of this study was, therefore, to present a novel mathematical method, namely “AgriRisCh”, to indirectly assess the risk factors due to the exposure of agricultural operators to chemicals, with particular reference to the activities of handling and storage, mixture preparation, and field distribution of PPPs. For this purpose, the new model has been compared to a more common Italian risk assessment system also based on mathematical relations, i.e. the MoVaRisCh. The presented tool allows the assessment of the chemical risk to workers’ health according to the (Italian) law provisions.