Alkyl phosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids
are among the pesticides most often used. People
handling pesticides do not only include
workers in the chemical industry (production,
filling, formulation), farmers, and pest control
operators but also the consumers. The applicator
should bear in mind that an improper use of
pesticides may lead to adverse health eVects.1 2
For objective assessment of exposure to
pesticides it is recommended that the pesticides
and specific enzymes in blood and the
corresponding metabolites in urine are
measured by standard biological monitoring.3–7
The measurement of the pesticide in blood is
important, because in many cases the unchanged
pesticide is responsible for adverse
health eVects. The renally eliminated metabolites
often represent the detoxified part of the
pesticide. The amount of metabolites in urine
gives information about the magnitude of