Segurança no trabalho de aplicação de agrotóxicos com o pulverizador de pistolas em citros

The purpose of this study envisaged the quantification of skin and respiratory exposures occasioned by work conditions during pesticide spraying of citrus fruits using hand gun sprayers; the evaluation of the efficiency of individual and group protection measures for the workers; the determination of workers' most exposed body regions; and the classification of work conditions, with and without the tested work-safety protection measures as recommended for the registered pesticides used to control the main pests and diseases that attack these types of trees and fruits. The AZR protection equipment proved to be the most efficient for the tractor driver, when spraying using pistol sprayers. The two sets of individual protection equipment that were checked also proved to be efficient. The most exposed regions of the tractor driver's body were the thighs, the front of the legs, the feet and hands. The most exposed regions of the individual sprayer working on foot were the hands and feet.O presente estudo objetivou quantificar as exposições dérmicas e respiratórias proporcionadas pelas condições de trabalho de aplicação de agrotóxicos em cultura de citros com o pulverizador de pistolas; avaliar a eficiência de medidas de proteção individual e coletiva para esses trabalhadores; determinar as regiões mais expostas do corpo dos trabalhadores; e classificar as condições de trabalho, sem e com as medidas de proteção testadas, quanto à segurança ocupacional das recomendações de agrotóxicos registrados para o controle das principais pragas e doenças dessa cultura. Verifica-se que, para o tratorista, pulverizando com o pulverizador de pistolas, a medida de proteção mais eficiente foi o conjunto AZR e, para o aplicador, os dois conjuntos avaliados foram eficientes. Para o tratorista, as regiões mais expostas do corpo foram as coxas + pernas - frente, os pés e as mãos; e, para o aplicador foram, os pés e as mãos.Universidade Estadual de São Paulo Curso de Pós-GraduaçãoUniversidade Estadual de São Paulo Departamento de Fitossanidad

EVALUATION OF THE IBUPROFEN DELYVERY PROFILE IN SYMMETRIC AND ASYMMETRIC MEMBRANES OF CELLULOSE ACETATE: EFFECT OF MORPHOLOGY

Cellulose derivatives still receive special attention in today biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, ability to form resistant membranes and compatibility with various bioactive agents. In this work, cellulose acetate (CA) was used to prepare membranes with different morphologies aiming to evaluate the release profile of the drug ibuprofen (IBF). The IBF incorporation was performed by the addition of 10% of the drug in an 8% (w/w) CA/acetone solution. The morphology of the membranes was modified by the addition of water, used as porogenic agent. Drug release assays showed the effect of morphology on the cumulative drug release curves. The symmetric membrane exhibited retention of significant amounts of the drug and a slow release process that lasted for more than 50 hours. The asymmetric porous membranes presented different behavior with greater amount of drug released in less time of release. The kinetic parameters calculated from the Higuchi and Korsmeyer/Peppas models indicated release profiles controlled by diffusion/solution process in the polymer matrix. The results revealed that the interactions established between IBF, CA and the matrix morphology are significant factors for the kinetic control of the drug release process and enable to choose different applications of the membranes loaded with IBF.</p

Sulfanilamide Electrochemical Sensor Using Phenolic Substrates and CO₂ Laser Pyrolysis

The concentration of environmental pollutants needs to be monitored constantly by reliable analytical methods since they pose a public health risk. Developing simple and affordable sensors for such pollutants can allow for large-scale monitoring economically. Here, we develop a simple electrochemical sensor for sulfanilamide (SFD) quantification using a phenolic resin substrate and a CO2 laser to pyrolyze the sensor geometry over the substrate. The sensors are modified with carbon nanotubes via a simple drop-casting procedure. The carbon nanotube loading effect the electrochemical performance toward a redox probe and analytical performance for SFD detection is investigated, showing no net benefit beyond 1 mg L–1 of carbon nanotubes. The effects of the modification on the SFD oxidation are shown to be more than just an electrode area effect and possibly attributed to the fast electron transfer kinetics of the carbon nanotubes. SFD detection is performed at small solution volumes under static (800 μL) and hydrodynamic conditions (3 mL) in a fully integrated, miniaturized batch-injection analyses cell. Both methods have a similar linear range from 10.0 to 115.0 μmol L–1 and high selectivity for SFD determination. Both systems are used to quantify SFD in real samples as a proof of concept, showcasing the proposed device’s applicability as a sensor for environmental and public health monitoring of SFD