Health Risks of Pest Control and Disinfection Workers after the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea

The exposure patterns of pest control and disinfection workers have changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, but the health risks of chemical exposure have not been assessed. We identified the exposure patterns and risks of chemicals used by these workers before and after the pandemic. We conducted surveys in 2018 (pre-pandemic) and 2021 (post-pandemic) to evaluate the chemical exposure and health effects on workers. We found that the workers used larger amounts of disinfectants, and the working time using the fogger was significantly increased after the pandemic. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of all chemicals increased regardless of exposure routes. In the worst scenario, the margin of exposure (MOE) for four chemicals of inhalation exposure and two chemicals of dermal exposure were acceptable before the pandemic but became unacceptable after the pandemic. The carcinogenic risks of dichlorvos for inhalation and dermal exposure were above acceptable levels before and after the pandemic, but comparatively higher post-pandemic. Additionally, workers significantly more experienced clinical symptoms after the pandemic, with the most common being muscle lethargy, skin and face stinging, breath shortness, and neck pain. Exposure patterns of pest control and disinfection workers have changed since the pandemic and the risks have significantly increased.