Pesticide aerosol characteristics in the vicinity of an agricultural vehicle cab during application.

Pesticide spraying for crop protection leads to the formation of a mist of droplets, part of which is dispersed into the atmosphere. The characteristics of this aerosol, namely its particle size distribution and concentration, were measured during five campaigns involving cereal crop growing, wine grape culture, and orcharding. The measurement method incorporated a tracer product (fluorescein) with the treatment product; the pesticide aerosol concentration was then deduced from the tracer concentration.

Solvent ototoxicity in the rat and guinea pig.

There is clear evidence that aromatic solvents can disrupt the auditory system in humans and animals. As far as animal models are concerned, solvent-induced hearing loss seems to be species-dependent. Indeed, most published data have been obtained with the rat, which shows mid-frequency cochlear deficits, whereas the guinea pig does not show any permanent hearing loss after solvent exposure.