In vitro percutaneous penetration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from sunscreen creams

Background: Dermal exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) affects many outdoor workers such as asphalt workers. Usually the use of sunscreen creams is suggested to protect them from UV radiation. However sunscreen could prevent or facilitate dermal absorption of industrial chemicals. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess percutaneous penetration of anthracene using 2 different sunscreen creams as vehicle. Methods: In vitro permeation experiments were carried out using standardized in vitro methods with static diffusion cells. Excised human skin prepared to approximately 350 mm thickness was fixed on the diffusion cells. The receiving phase was a saline solution with 6% PEG 20. The 2 sunscreen creams (one lipophilic and one hydrophilic) were applied uniformly (2mg/cm2) on the skin mounted on the diffusion cell. After 20 minutes, a solution of anthracene and artificial sweat was added. Analysis of anthracene in the receptor samples was carried out by beta counter analyzer (Packard). Results: Results did not show a percutaneous penetration of anthracene from sunscreen creams while in previous studies in vitro percutaneous penetration of anthracene was demonstrated using the same methodology. Discussion and Conclusion: The use of sunscreen creams among outdoor workers, would not seem to enhance percutaneous penetration of PAHs. On the contrary it seems to be able to reduce dermal absorption of anthracene in the workplace

ENAMA “Certification” of the inspection workshop activity: the necessary requirements

In European Directive 128/2009/EC it is stated that “each Member State shall establish certificate systems designed to allow the verification of sprayers inspections”, but no further indications are provided on how to make such certifications. In Italy the ENAMA (National Board for Agricultural Mechanization) working group – established to co-ordinate the sprayers inspection activities at national level – has prepared a specific document containing the guidelines on how to get, on a voluntary basis, an ENAMA certification which attests the conformity of test equipment and of test procedures adopted in the inspection workshops. In this document directions are reported on how to assess the conformity of the inspection workshops to a set of listed requirements, referred either to other ENAMA documents, or to the National Action Plan, or to ISO/IEC 17020.The ENAMA certification of conformity therefore represents an added value for the sprayers inspection and calibrations Workshops as it ensures, through periodical inspections, that workshops apply the correct administrative (e.g. management of data and record of test reports) and technical procedures in their inspection activity and that they use appropriate test equipment and instruments. In this paper the requirements needed to get and to maintain over time the ENAMA certification of conformity are described

A proposal for an EU (SPISE) database of the licensed sprayers inspectors and inspection centres

In order to guarantee at European level the easy identification of sprayers inspected and to allow mutual recognition of inspections as recommended by the European Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides (128/2009/EC) it would be necessary to create a SPISE database enabling to collect the list of the technicians authorized to make inspections of sprayers in use and of the licensed inspection centers. This database should be managed at SPISE level and should be linked to the national databases for getting regular updates.Actually in Italy there is a public national online database (www.centriprovairroratrici.unito.it) that was realized by the ENAMA working group. Only the sprayers inspected by the test stations listed in this database are recognized all over the country.This national database contains also the results of all the inspections made in the different Italian Regions and therefore provides a support for monitoring the inspection activity at national level. Independently of the software used at local level for managing data of sprayer inspections, some key information have to be necessarily provided in order to identify the sprayer inspected.They are the coordinates of the test station, the name of the technician who inspected the sprayer, the name of the owner of the sprayer, the data of the machine inspected, the date of the inspection and its response

The necessity of a harmonized procedure for sprayers inspectors training: the Italian activity

European Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides requires that the people making inspections of sprayers in use have an official license, recognized at national level, released by the competent Authority. In Italy, Authorities responsible of training and upgrading of sprayers inspectors are Regional and Provincial administrations. They make this job in collaboration with research institutes that provide qualified teachers.With the aim to homogenize in the whole country the activity of training and licensing of sprayers inspectors the rules for training courses and the criteria for releasing licenses have been defined by ENAMA. Training courses shall have a duration of at least 40 hours subdivided between theory (60% of total time) and practical (40% of total time).Topics treated during courses are: criteria to apply pesticides, main sprayer types used in agriculture and relative components, test methods and equipment used to carry out the inspections of sprayers in use and to adjust them. The exam to get the inspector license shall consist in: a) filling of a questionnaire with multiple answers (at least 80% of answers have to be correct); the questions are selected among a database approved by ENAMA Working Group; b) oral test; c) practical exam consisting in the complete inspection of one sprayer.In order to guarantee the same quality level of sprayers inspections in the different European countries and to guarantee the mutual recognition of inspections made it is considered necessary to reach in short terms an agreement to harmonize the activity of training, licensing and upgrading of sprayers inspectors across Europe