Assessing chronic exposure to anticholinesterase pesticides by hair analysis

Abstract

The present paper explores the possibility of using hair as a suitable biomarker of chronic exposure to anticholinesterase pesticides. Research results already available confirm that hair is a suitable biomarker of past exposure to drugs and pharmaceuticals. Recent experimental evidence suggests that hair is a suitable biomarker for the assessment of chronic exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. Animal studies have indicated that hair concentrations of the pesticide diazinon are dose dependent. Hair has been used as biomarker of chronic and recent exposure to anticholinesterase pesticides in an epidemiological study conducted in Crete. Experimental data confirmed the presence of organophos-phates in hair samples of the rural population examined. © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.