California pesticide illness down

There was a "substantial drop" in pesticide-related illness in the US state of California in 2006, according to the latest monitoring report by the Cal-EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). The DPR investigated 681 cases in 2006, compared with over 1,200 in 2005 and 2004. The decline is attributed to a reduction in cases identified through workers' compensation documents. The caseload appears to have returned to pre-2006 levels during 2007, but the DPR is considering changing its data collection methods.

Of the 681 cases investigated in 2006, pesticide exposure was confirmed as a possible contributing factor in 438 (64%) cases. Occupational exposure accounted for 332 (76%) of the 438 pesticide-associated cases. Agricultural applications accounted for 222 (51%) of the 438 cases. There was evidence of a definite relationship to pesticide exposure in 49 (11%) of the 438 cases, with 305 (69%) classed as probable and 84 (19%) as possible. Among the 94 cases of field worker illness or injury linked with pesticide use, 25 (27%) were related to residues and 64 (68%) to spray drift.