Photo credit: Micolo J

Researchers from the University of Washington’s Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research assessed pesticide exposure via household dust for farmworkers in the Lower Yakima Valley of Washington State. Dust samples were collected from the households of agricultural workers and non-agricultural workers three times over the course of a year, and were then tested for five organophosphate pesticides. Pesticide levels in the dust were generally higher during seasons when pesticides are typically applied. Dust in the homes of agricultural workers contained pesticides and at higher concentrates than dust in the homes of non-farm workers.  This study supports past research that farm workers may bring pesticides into their homes via shoes and clothing, creating an exposure route for their families.