Application of Oral Absorption in Establishment of AOEL for Pesticides and Occupational Risk Assessment for farm worker

Methods of establishment of AOEL (Acceptable Operator Exposure Level), application of oral absorption by country, and calculation of exposure dose for operator risk assessment in USA, EU and Korea were investigated. Oral absorption of 141 active substances for pesticides was also investigated, then operator risk assessment was conducted with AOEL including oral absorption and Korean AOEL. Internal dose converted to external dose with oral or dermal absorption in USA and EU, but external dose to which oral absorption was not applied was used for establishment of AOEL in Korea. Oral absorption of 50 active substances among 141 were below 80%. In case of application of oral absorption as a correction factor in below 80%, AOELs of about 36% active substances were considered to be lower than the current Korean AOELs. Operator risk assessment of 28 active substances among 50 active substances with oral absorption below 80% was conducted with EU AOELs. TER (Toxicity Exposure Ratio) of 12 plant protection products including chlorothalonil WG (Water-dispersible Granule) was less than 1 and the risk was high. Operator risk assessment of 24 active substances among 50 active substances with oral absorption below 80% was conducted with Korean AOELs. TER of 6 plant protection products including chlorothalonil WG were less than 1 and the risk was high. Operator risk assessment of 4 plant protection products not having Korean AOEL was conducted with converted EU AOEL into AOEL not including oral absorption. The results indicated TER of 4 products including daminozide WP (Wettable Powder) was over 1 and risk was low. 22 products except 6 products such as oxadiagyl SC (Suspension Concentration) were shown the same results of risk assessment between EU AOELs and Korean AOELs. As a result, it was considered that AOELs including oral absorption was possible to be used for operator risk assessment. It was considered operator risk assessment with AOEL including oral absorption was more like real assessment method, and improvement of assessment was needed for application to evaluate pesticides in registration.

경구흡수율을 반영한 농약의 AOEL 설정 및 농작업자 위해성 평가

미국, EU, 한국의 농작업자위해성평가를 위한 AOEL 설정, 국가별 경구흡수율 적용, 노출량 산출방법을 조사하였다. 농약성분 141종에 대한 경구흡수율을 조사하였으며 경구흡수율을 적용한 농작업자노출허용량(AOEL)과 국내 설정 AOEL을 이용하여 농작업자위해성평가를 실시하였다. 미국과 EU에서는 external dose를 internal dose로 변환하기 위하여 경구흡수율 또는 피부흡수율을 적용하였으나 한국에서는 AOEL 설정 시 경구흡수율을 적용하지 않은 external dose를 사용하였다. 141종의 농약성분 중 50종이 경구흡수율 80% 미만이었으며 경구흡수율을 적용하는 경우 약 36%의 농약성분이 이전 AOEL보다 낮아질 것으로 사료되었다. 50종의 농약성분 중 한국에 등록된 농약 28품목에 대해 EU AOEL을 이용하여 농작업자위해성평가를 실시한 결과, chlorothalonil WG 등 12품목이 독성노출비가 1 이하로 계산되어 위해성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한 50종 중 한국 AOEL이 설정되어 있으며 한국에 등록된 농약 24품목에 대해 한국 AOEL을 이용하여 농작업자위해성평가를 실시한 결과, chlorothalonil WG 등 6품목은 독성노출비가 1 이하로 위해성이 높게 나타났다. 한국 AOEL이 없는 4품목에 대해 EU AOEL을 경구흡수율 100%로 환산한 수치를 이용하여 위해성평가를 실시한 결과, daminozide WP 등 4품목 모두 독성노출비 1 초과로 위해성이 낮게 나타났다. 경구흡수율 적용 및 미적용 EU AOEL과 한국 AOEL을 사용한 농작업자위해성평가를 비교한 결과 oxadiagyl SC 등 6품목을 제외한 22품목에서 동일한 위해성평가 결과가 나타났다. 본 연구 결과, 농작업자 위해성 평가를 실시할 때 경구흡수율을 적용한 AOEL을 이용할 수 있을 것으로 사료되었다. 경구흡수율을 적용한 AOEL 설정 및 이용한 농작업자위해성평가를 수행하였을 때 보다 실제에 가까운 평가방법으로 판단되므로 등록농약의 평가에 적용될 수 있도록 개선이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.