Hand wipe sample concentrations
Both permethrin and cypermethrin were detected in hand wipe samples. The majority of the participants’ hands had PYR levels less than LODs (0.01 mg/kg). During the wet sea-son, cypermethrin was detected from participants living in the rice farming area (0.07 mg/kg) and aquacultural farming area (,0.02 mg/kg), while permethrin was detected in participants living in the aquacultural farming area (0.05 mg/kg) only. The highest concentration of permethrin, of 0.07 mg/kg, was collected from a participant living in the aquacultural farming area during the dry season, while the highest concentration of cypermethrin, of 0.07 mg/kg, was obtained from partici-pants coming from the rice farming area during both the wet and dry seasons. From those participants who had pesticide residues detected on their hands, most had above the median level of 3-PBA and DCCA. This finding supports the positive correlation (r=0.40–0.46) between PYR residues collected from the hands and urinary PYR metabolites.