Biomonitoring pesticide exposure in nonconventional specimens

Abstract In the last two decades, hair, breast milk, meconium, and oral fluid have been investigated as specimens for biomonitoring pesticide exposure in alternative to urine and blood. The main feature of hair is the possibility to investigate exposure over a few months preceding sampling and to take into account cumulative and multiple exposure to pesticides over the agriculture application season. For breast milk and meconium, the most interesting feature is the possibility to assess exposure in early life, during which a major susceptibility toward toxicants is expected, also considering those chemicals that had previously accumulated into the mother's body and that can affect fetus health. Oral fluid is a noninvasive alternative to blood and may therefore be applied to detect pesticides without the disadvantages of invasive and health personnel requiring procedures. In the present chapter a review of biomonitoring studies using these matrices to investigate pesticide exposure in agricultural workers and in the general population is summarized, and advantages and disadvantages are presented. These studies open future perspectives in biomonitoring pesticide exposure in agriculture.