Exposure of Formulating Plant Workers to DDT

Potential dermal and respiratory exposure of workers to DDT in two formulating plants showed higher exposure where observations indicated poor housekeeping and inadequate ventilation. Exposure calculations indicated that if workers did not wear recommended protective gear the potential exposure would be 2½ to 10 times greater than when wearing recommended gear. Highest estimated potential exposure was at a bagging station where the mean dermal value was calculated to be 524.5 mg/hr and the mean respiratory exposure, 14.1 mg/hr. Relatively low levels of DDA in urine of men in work situations of higher potential exposure indicate that the protective gear worn by workers was effective and probably reflects inefficient dermal absorption of DDT. Urinary excretion of DDA over a five-day period indicated that excretory levels of the metabolite correlated well with exposure periods.