Which condition increases the risk of dermal pesticide exposure?

• A. Breaks in the skin
• B. Wearing clean clothes
• C. Skin intact
• D. Fully healed wounds

Answer: (A)

Dermal exposure happens when pesticides cross the skin barrier. The outer skin layer, the barrier, is designed to keep chemicals out. When the skin has breaks—like cuts, abrasions, or irritated skin—this barrier is compromised. Those openings act as direct entryways, letting pesticides seep in more easily and quickly, increasing absorption and potential harm to the body.

If the skin is intact, the barrier remains strong and slows or stops most of the chemical from entering. Wearing clean clothes helps by reducing contact with contaminated surfaces, further lowering exposure. Fully healed wounds have mostly restored barrier function, so they don’t inherently raise risk compared with normal skin. So the situation that increases dermal exposure risk is breaks in the skin.