• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2024

Objectives: The unsafe use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to human health. This study was conducted to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and health symptoms among chili farmers in northeast Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study included 141 chili farmers in Sakon Nakhon Province, in northeast Thailand. Data regarding health symptoms were gathered using a self-report questionnaire. A medical technician tested blood cholinesterase activity using an erythrocyte method, and an occupational medicine specialist at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand reviewed the results. Associations between personal characteristics, pesticide exposure factors, and health symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 141 chili farmers studied, 66.7% experienced pesticide poisoning, as indicated by below-normal cholinesterase levels. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom associated with pesticide exposure, affecting 37.6% of participants. This was followed by nausea and vomiting (31.9%), dizziness (14.9%), and dry throat (14.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were significantly associated with adverse symptoms: amount of work experience, volume of pesticides used, use of chemical pesticides, use of leaking containers during spraying, direct pesticide exposure while working, contact with pesticide-soaked clothing, consumption of food and drinks in the fields, and blood cholinesterase level indicating risk. Conclusions: This study suggests potential health risks for chili farmers stemming from exposure to and contamination by pesticides used in agricultural practices. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to supply personal protective equipment and to implement educational programs aimed at improving protective behaviors among farmers.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.359-362
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• 2013

This study was performed in order to assess the risk of earthworm when the picoxystrobin was sprayed in Korean orchard. The acute toxicity ($LC_{50}$) of picoxystrobin active ingredient(99.3%) and soluble concentrate (25%) against earthworm was showed 10.93 mg/kg and 8-16 mg/kg respectively. This earth worm toxicity value means that the picoxystrobin do not show the earthworm risk in present Korean risk assessment system. However, in the test which was simulated the rainfall after spraying, all the earthworm were died in 24 hours. This result indicated that the risk assessment for the earthworm should be considered the weather condition.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.229-234
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• 2021

This study investigated spray patterns and coverage generated by three types of commercial nozzles for spraying pesticides with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using a multi-copter. Flufenoxuron+metaflumizone SC and bifenthrin EC were sprayed. The falling particles of the spraying agent were measured using WSP (Water and oil Sensitive Paper) and the coverage was determined. The results showed that the uniformity of falling particles was different according to the difference in wind strength, and there was no difference for different formulations. The injection amount for each nozzle was found to be different from the official information provided by the manufacturers. These results could be used to establish guidelines for the control of UAVs and pesticide registration testing.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.230-235
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• 2012

This study was carried out to clarify effects of field location and sprayer on the level of pesticide residue in chilli peppers. As confirmed by statistical analysis, the residue levels in green pepper among three greenhouses did not show significant difference at the first day after spraying with the same engine sprayer and nozzle. But the residue levels in green peppers collected from the exposed outside of crop were 2 times higher than those from the hidden inside. The sampling site was one of variation elements of pesticide residue. The residue levels after application by knapsack engine powered sprayer were 1.7 times higher than those by manual compressed sprayer. As the spraying pressure of the engine power sprayer is 2 times higher than the commonly used pressure of the manual compressed sprayer, the pressure of the sprayer and nozzles were considered to affect on the residue levels in peppers.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2023

The efficacy of spinetoram sprayed from an unmanned helicopter to control two insect vectors of pine wood nematodes, Monochamus alternatus and M. saltuarius was assessed. By using a ULV (Ultra Low Volume) sprayer, the mortality rates of phenthoate, bifenthrin, etofenprox, and diflubenzuron, which are registered for use against coleopteran insects, indoxacarb and spinetoram, which are registered for use against lepidopteran insects, were evaluated for efficacy as aerial spraying agents. The ULV test, using 33- and 55-fold dilutions of phenthoate, bifenthrin, indoxacarb, and spinetoram demonstrated a 100% insect mortality rate upon contact and feeding mortality on the third day after treatment, while etofenprox and diflubenzuron exhibited a slightly lower mortality rate than the remaining compounds. Consequently, spinetoram was selected as a candidate pesticide for aerial spraying and its efficacy to control the insect vectors was assessed. The x 33 dilution of spinetoram resulted in a 98.6-100% control efficacy against two insect vectors. However, risk assessment for bees following aerial spraying will be necessary before applying the pesticide to control insect vectors.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.547-556
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• 2013

Recently, golf courses have increased over the years because golf became popular leisure sport. Various environmental problems have been then issued by a golf course during constructing and running them. A problem of pesticide, which is serious among various environmental problems, from golf course has harmful effect on surrounding area and makes human suffer from acute and chronic diseases. Pesticides are used for the cost-effective managing of golf course and the amount of pesticides also increases as the number of golf course increase. Since the assessment of pesticides on near-by surrounding has been focused on water and soil media, studies related to atmospheric dispersion have been hardly attempted. The method to assess an impact of pesticide nearby agricultural production by the atmospheric dispersion using AGDISP(AGricultural DISPersal) model was developed and applied to the actual planned golf course located in Hongcheon, Gangwon. For implementing AGDISP, parameters were investigated from the golf course's land use planning map, pesticide spray device, Hong-Cheon weather station and etc. First of all, a kind of pesticide, a form of spraying pesticide, geographical features, weather data, and distance(golf course to plantation) were investigated to understand how to work these parameters in AGDISP. Restricted data(slope angle, droplet size distribution and solar insolation) sensitivity analysis of these parameters to estimate effect of pesticide nearby a plantation and a high relative contribution data of analyzed data was selected for input data. Ethoprophos was chosen as the pesticide used in the golf course and the amounts of pesticide deposition per annual agricultural productions were predicted. The results show that maximum amount of pesticide deposition through atmospheric dispersion was predicted $2.32{\mu}/m^2$ at 96 m where the nearest organic plantation exists. The residues of pesticide were also estimated based on the annul production of the organic and the deposition amount of the pesticide. Consequently, buckwheat, wheat and millet were likely to exceed maximum residue limits for pesticides in foods(MRL) and sorghum, corn and peanut were likely to exceed MRL by organic farming as well.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.245-249
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• 2012

The small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus) is one of the most important rice pests in Republic of Korea because it damages rice plants not only by sap-sucking but also by transmitting Rice stripe virus (RSV). Outbreaks of RSV are closely related to outbreaks of the small brown planthopper (SBPH). Therefore, it is very important to control SBPH for the management of RSV. Mass-migrating SBPH collected by aerial net traps in June 2011 at Taeanup, Geunheungmyon and Gonammyon in Taeangun were examined for virus carrier status and effects of the pesticide, 'Myungtaja', on the control of RSV. Among 1,217 SBPH trapped, about 7.7% were detected as RSV positive and 4.4% were positive for Rice black streak dwarf virus (RBSDV) by RT-PCR. After the mass migration, pesticide 'Myungtaja' was sprayed once or twice on rice fields and compared to untreated fields. The incidence of RSV was not affected by the frequency of spraying 'Myungtaja' but was influenced by the time of pesticide treatment. Myungtaja' treatment within 5-7 days after mass migration resulted in the most efficient RSV control, resulting in RSV incidence decreased by 87.6% compared to the control. Therefore, we conclude that pesticide spraying for RSV control was most effective when it was done within 5-7 days after mass migration.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.330-335
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate residue levels of chlorantraniliprole and ethaboxam in inner part and outer leaves of a head-type Korean cabbage. Further, reduction of residues was measured after water washing, blanching and heat-cooking of the outer leaves. For chlorantraniliprole, residues in inner part and outer leaves were <0.01 mg/kg and 0.0757 mg/kg, respectively, in case of three-time spraying 30 days before harvest and <0.01 mg/kg and 1.19 mg/kg, respectively, in case of four-time spraying 10 days before harvest; for ethaboxam, <0.05 mg/kg and 0.216 mg/kg, respectively and <0.05 mg/kg and 1.18 mg/kg, respectively. Chlorantraniliprole and ethaboxam were not detected in inner part of the head-type Korean cabbage. Residue levels in outer leaves were very high as 10-100 fold as those in inner part of the cabbage. Therefore, there is no concern for safety of pesticide residues on kimchi prepared with the inner part of a head-type Korean cabbage. In addition, it needs to be noted that outer leaves should be carefully removed at harvest of the cabbage. Outer leaves water washed and blanched are called as Woogeogi, which is consumed after heat-cooking. In Woogeogi, residue concentrations of two compounds reduced to less than 10%, and further less than 5% by heat-cooking. This indicates that considerable amount of the test pesticide residues in outer leaves of a head-type Korean cabbage removed through water washing, blanching and heat-cooking.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.507-528
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• 2011

Agricultural workers who mix/loads and spray pesticide in fields expose to pesticide through dermal and inhalation routes. In such situation, exposed amount should be measured quantitatively for reasonable risk assessment. Patch, gloves, socks and mask will be good materials for monitoring for dermal exposure while personal air monitor equipped with solid adsorbent and air pump will be a tool for inhalation exposure. For extrapolation of absorbed amount in dermal exposure matrices and of trapped amount in solid sorbent to total deraml or inhalation exposure, Korean standard body surface area and respiration rate were proposed in substitution of EPA data. Important exposure factors such as clothing and skin penetration ratio of dermal and inhalation exposure were suggested based on Spraying time for exposure monitoring must be long enough that the amount of pesticide to get absorbed/trapped in exposure matrices results in reasonable analytical value. In domestic case for the both of speed sprayer and power spray machine, spraying time of 20~40 minutes (0.1~0.2 ha) will be reasonable per single replicate before extrapolating to 4 hours a day with triplicates experiment.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2020

Driving on irregular and inclined roads using agricultural machinery such as spraying machines or trucks in orchards causes farmer casualties associated with the overturning of agricultural machinery. In addition, the harm to agricultural workers caused by the excessive inhalation of the scattered pesticide frequently occurs during pest control processes. To address these problems, we introduced precision agricultural technology that could selectively spray pesticides only where the fruit is present by recognizing the presence or shape of the fruit in the orchard. In this paper, a 16-channel LIDAR (VLP-16) made of Velodyne was used to identify the shape of fruit trees. Solenoid valves were attached to the end parts of 12 nozzles of the orchard spraying machine for on/off control. The smart spraying machine implemented in this way was mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous travel and performed selective control depending upon the shape of the fruit trees while traveling in the orchards. This is expected to significantly reduce the amounts of pesticides used in orchards and production costs.