Data from: Silicone wristbands detect individuals' pesticide exposures in West Africa

We detected between 2 and 10 pesticides per person with novel sampling
devices worn by 35 participants who were actively engaged in farming in
Diender, Senegal. Participants were recruited to wear silicone wristbands
for each of two separate periods of up to 5 days. Pesticide exposure
profiles were highly individualized with only limited associations with
demographic data. Using a 63-pesticide dual-column gas
chromatography–electron capture detector (GC-ECD) method, we detected
pyrethoid insecticides most frequently, followed by organophosphate
pesticides which have been linked to adverse health outcomes. This work
provides the first report of individualized exposure profiles among
smallholder farmers in West Africa, where logistical and practical
constraints have prevented the use of more traditional approaches to
exposure assessment in the past. The wristbands and associated analytical
method enabled detection of a broad range of agricultural, domestic,
legacy and current-use pesticides, including esfenvalerate, cypermethrin,
lindane, DDT and chlorpyrifos. Participants reported the use of 13
pesticide active ingredients while wearing wristbands. All six of the
pesticides that were both reportedly used and included in the analytical
method were detected in at least one wristband. An additional 19 pesticide
compounds were detected beyond those that were reported to be in use,
highlighting the importance of measuring exposure in addition to
collecting surveys and self-reported use records. The wristband method is
a candidate for more widespread use in pesticide exposure and health
monitoring, and in the development of evidence-based policies for human
health protection in an area where food security concerns are likely to
intensify agricultural production and pesticide use in the near future.