Table 2.
Acute paraquat- and diquat-related illness cases by exposure and occupational characteristics: SENSOR, PISP, and IDS data, 1998–2011.
| Paraquat
|
Diquat
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cases | Non-work-related cases | Work-related cases | All cases | Non-work-related cases | Work-related cases | |
|
| ||||||
| Variable | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) |
| Total | 300 | 63(21) | 203(68) | 144 | 81(56) | 42(29) |
| Application site | ||||||
| Agriculturala | 153(51) | 13(21) | 140(69) | 12(8) | 1(1) | 11(26) |
| Non-agricultural | 35(12) | 24(38) | 10(5) | 127(88) | 72(89) | 27(64) |
| Unknown | 112(37) | 26(41) | 53(26) | 5(3) | 8(10) | 4(10) |
| Activity during exposure | ||||||
| Handlersb | 159(53) | 4(6) | 152(75) | 78(54) | 32(40) | 34(81) |
| Routine indoor/outdoor living activities not involved with pesticide application | 34(11) | 21(33) | 0 | 33(23) | 29(36) | 0 |
| Routine work activities not involved with pesticide application | 31(10) | 1(2) | 30(15) | 6(4) | 0 | 5(12) |
| Other | 6(2) | 5(8) | 0 | 10(7) | 9(11) | 1(2) |
| Unknown | 70(23) | 31(49) | 21(10) | 17(12) | 11(14) | 2(5) |
| Routes of exposurec | ||||||
| Dermal | 128(43) | 12(19) | 102(50) | 63(44) | 32(40) | 23(55) |
| Ocular | 70(23) | 4(6) | 61(30) | 37(26) | 17(21) | 11(26) |
| Inhalation | 74(25) | 18(29) | 51(25) | 35(24) | 24(30) | 6(14) |
| Ingestion | 43(14) | 28(44) | 9(4) | 25(17) | 22(27) | 3(7) |
| Unintentional ingestiond | 25(58) | 14(50) | 9(100) | 13(50) | 10(45) | 3(100) |
| Intentional ingestion(i.e. suicide or attempted suicide)d | 15(35) | 13(46) | 0 | 12(46) | 12(55) | 0 |
| Ingestion of unknown intentd | 3(7) | 1(4) | 0 | 1(41) | 0 | 1(2) |
| Unknown | 12(4) | 6(10) | 6(3) | 3(2) | 1(1) | 1(2) |
| Type of exposurec, e | ||||||
| Directly sprayed with herbicide | 60(34) | 3(8) | 55(41) | 46(32) | 23(28) | 9(21) |
| Leak/spill | 37(21) | 2(6) | 35(26) | 29(20) | 8(10) | 18(43) |
| Drift | 25(14) | 16(44) | 9(7) | 15(10) | 11(14) | 2(5) |
| Contact with treated surface | 9(5) | 1(3) | 8(6) | 7(5) | 4(5) | 1(2) |
| Other | 15(9) | 9(25) | 6(4) | 20(14) | 15(19) | 5(12) |
| Unknown | 30(17) | 6(17) | 22(16) | 28(19) | 20(25) | 7(17) |
| Toxicityf, e | ||||||
| I-Danger | 114(65) | 18(50) | 91(67) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| II-Warning | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32(22) | 14(17) | 16(38) |
| III-Caution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75(52) | 51(63) | 9(21) |
| Unknown | 62(35) | 18(50) | 42(31) | 37(26) | 16(20) | 17(40) |
| Application targete | ||||||
| Undesired plants | 53(30) | 5(14) | 48(36) | 24(17) | 14(17) | 8(19) |
| Fruit crops | 22(13) | 1(3) | 21(16) | 3(2) | 1(1) | 2(5) |
| Grain/fiber/grass crops | 16(9) | 9(25) | 7(5) | 8(6) | 7(9) | 1(2) |
| Other (e.g., miscellaneous crops, soil) | 15(9) | 6(17) | 9(7) | 5(3) | 2(2) | 1(2) |
| Landscape/forest | 3(2) | 2(6) | 1(1) | 24(17) | 16(20) | 8(19) |
| Aquatic (excluding pools) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14(10) | 9(11) | 5(12) |
| Unknown | 67(38) | 9(25) | 49(36) | 66(46) | 32(40) | 17(40) |
| Application equipmente | ||||||
| Low-pressure ground sprayer | 46(26) | 2(6) | 44(33) | 2(1) | 1(1) | 1(2) |
| Spray Line, handheld | 17(10) | 4(11) | 13(10) | 21(15) | 16(20) | 2(5) |
| Sprayer, backpack | 17(10) | 1(3) | 16(12) | 14(10) | 5(6) | 9(21) |
| Aerial applicator | 12(7) | 10(28) | 2(1) | 1(1) | 1(1) | 0 |
| Other | 12(7) | 2(6) | 10(7) | 7(5) | 4(5) | 1(2) |
| Trigger Pump | 3(2) | 1(3) | 2(1) | 19(13) | 15(19) | 4(10) |
| Manual placement | 6(3) | 3(8) | 3(2) | 1(1) | 0 | 0 |
| Pressurized can | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(3) | 4(5) | 0 |
| Unknown | 63(36) | 13(36) | 45(33) | 74(51) | 32(40) | 25(60) |
‘Agricultural’ includes: farm, nursery, forest, livestock and animal specialty production, greenhouse, and other non-production agricultural processing.
‘Handlers’ includes: pesticide applicators, mixers/loaders, transporters/disposers, repair/maintenance of pesticide application equipment.
Sum of some variables will exceed 100% because in some instances cases had more than one type of exposure.
Denominator is total cases of ingestion for corresponding category.
IDS data (N=124; Non-work: n=27; Work: n=68) excluded from analysis due to substantial missing information.
USEPA toxicity categories ranging from toxicity I (the most toxic) to IV (the least toxic) are assigned to each product (USEPA, 2014).