Pesticide Safety

Protecting Yourself

Pesticides• Insecticides

• Herbicides

• Fungicides

Pesticide Injuries

Injuries – Mixing and Loading

• 60% of injuries• Application makes up

less than ½ (38%)• Over ½ (57%) of

injuries are systemic.• About 25% are eye

injuries

Toxicity of Pesticides

Toxicity – capability of a substance to cause injury or death.

How poisonous

it is!

Risk?• Hazard = Toxicity x Exposure

What is a Formulation

• How a pesticide is packaged.

• Contains:– Active Ingredient– Inert Ingredient

Types of formulations

• Wet

– More easily absorbed

• Dry

– More easily inhaled

Liquid Formulations

• EC –emulsifiable concentrate

• S - soluble

• ULV – ultra low volume

• F or FL - flowables

• ME – micro-encapsulated

Dry Formulations

• WP – Wettable powder

• DF – Dry Flowable

• WDG – Water Dispersable Granule

• D - Dust

• P or G – Pellets or Granules

• M or ME – Micro-Encapsulated

Capture 2 EC

Counter 15G

Benlate SP

Effects of Different Formulations

Formulation Hazards Phytox Equipment Agitate Compatible

WP Inhale Safe abrasive Yes High

DF/WDG Safe Safe abrasive Yes Good

SP Dusts Safe Non-abrasive Some Fair

EC Dermal Maybe Seals, gaskets No Fair

F or FL Dermal Maybe abrasive Yes Fair

S Dermal Safe Non-abrasive No Fair

D Inhale Safe NA NA NA

G or P Inhale Safe NA NA NA

M or ME Dermal Safe Generally ok Yes Fair

Routes of Exposure

Rates of Absorption

Acute and Chronic Toxicity

• Acute Exposure• Immediate effects of a

single, short term dose.

• All routes are considered during testing..dermal, oral, eye and inhalation

Measuring Toxicity – LD50

Some Common Oral LD50 Values

• Aldicarb (Temik) (I) – ----------------------0.9• Ethyl parathion (I) - -------------------------3• Carbofuran (Furadan)(I) -------------------8• Methyl parathion (I) – ----------------------9• Caffeine-----------------------------------------200• 2,4-D (H)----------------------------------------375• Table Salt---------------------------------------3750• Permethrin (Ambush) (I) ------------------4000• Imathamethabenz-methyl (Assert) (H)-->5000• Glyphosate (Roundup)(H)-------------------5600• Picloram (Tordon)(H)------------------------8200• Captan (F)--------------------------------------9000

Signal Words• Danger-Poison (I)• Danger (I)• Warning (II)• Caution (III)• Caution (IV)

…..Signal Words…...Indicate the relative toxicity of a pesticide

Chronic Toxicity

• The delayed effects of repeated exposures over a long period of time.

• Effects evaluated in the lab include– Potential tumors – Birth defects – Reproductive effects

Material Safety Data Sheets

• Provide details on both acute and chronic exposures.

• Provides basis for protective gear (PPE)

• WWW.greenbook.net

Other Label Information

Agricultural Use Requirements

REI’s

Pesticide Poisoning

Protecting your Bod!

• Skin

• Eyes

• Ingestion

• Inhalation

Coveralls

• For Toxicity Class III or IV – Cotton (tight weave), Kleenguard® coveralls

• For Toxicity Class (II) – Possibly cotton, Tyvek.

• For Toxicty Class I – PVC, Nitrile, Tychem®, sealed or serged seams.

Woven Materials

Laminated vs.

Woven

PVC

Polyethylene coated Tyvek

Gloves• Want unlined gloves!• Do Not Wear Leather

Gloves!• Do Not Wear exam

gloves!• Check for holes often!• Want 14 mils or

higher!

Glove Material

• Nitrile – Good overall protection, $2.39/pr

• Neoprene – Softer, better dexterity - $5.16• Natural Rubber – Use only on dry or water

based formulations - $11-18.00/pr

• Butyl – For High Toxicity Pesticides - $18.45

• PVC – Anyhydrous ammonia - $4.00/pr

• Viton – Superior Protection but $174.50/pr

Glove Material Classification A---Any dry or water based pesticide formulation.   B---Any pesticide with acetate as the carrier solvent.   C---Any pesticide with alcohol as the carrier solvent.

Example - Comite® D---Any pesticide with halogenated hydrocarbons as the carrier. E---Any pesticide with ketones (such as acetone) as the carrier solvent.

Example - Poast Plus®, Weedone 638®, 2,4-D LV 6 Ester® F---Any pesticide with ketone and aromatic petroleum distillate mixtures as the carrier solvent. Example - Di-syston 8® G---Any pesticide with aliphatic petroleum distillates ( such as kerosene, petroleum oil or mineral oil as the carrier solvent. Example - Guthion 2L® H---Any pesticide that has aromatic petroleum distillates (such as xylene) as the carrier solvent.

Gloves

Protecting Your Head

Straw Hat?

No. Ball Cap?

No..No

Yes!

Eye Protection

• Goggles

• Face Shields

• Safety Glasses

• But never wear contacts when spraying pesticides!!!

Respirators

Heat Stress While Spraying Pesticides

• Pesticide users are at higher risk…– More clothing

– Toxic environments

– Other stress factors• Hard work

• More exposed to sun

• Difficult to drink water

Heat Exhaustion• Overheating of the body due to excessive

loss of water or, in rare cases, salt depletion.

• Symptoms include:– thirst, headache

– Pallor

– Dizziness

– possibly nausea or vomiting.

– In severe cases, your heart may race and you may feel disoriented.

Heat Stroke

• Body's thermoregulatory system stops working.• Many of the symptoms are the same as for heat

exhaustion. • But there are additional symptoms

– cessation of sweating

– difficulty walking

– disorientation and fainting or;

– unconsciousness

Heat Stroke can permanently damage your health

If you get heatstroke once, you may be likely to get it again.

First Aid For Heat Exhaustion

• Stop what you are doing and get out of the sun-preferably into an air-conditioned building.

• Drink water or, better still, a sports beverage, taking it slowly rather than gulping it down.

• If you don't feel better within 30 minutes, go to a hospital emergency room.

• Heat Stroke is generally not fatal but heat stroke can be!!

First Aid For Heat Stroke

• Key symptom to look for is disorientation. A person who is functioning well mentally isn't in danger. Someone who's becoming "jelly brained“ is in trouble.

• Pack ice around the patient’s neck, armpit and groin.

• Splash water on the skin, and fan them.

• Elevate the legs.

• If the person is conscious, give plenty of fluids--1 to 2 quarts--preferably a sports beverage, but water's fine.

• The person will probably be nauseated and may not want to drink anything, but fluids are essential.

Preventing Heat Injuries

• Drink water (1 quart per hour when hot!)

• Eat to replace electrolytes

• Rest breaks!• Acclimatize!• Watch for low humidity.

You may not appear to be sweating but it is evaporating. You become less cautious

Heat Injuries Look Like Pesticide Injuries

• Sweating• Headache• Fatigue• Dry Membranes• Dry Mouth• No tears or spit• Fast pulse• Dilated pupils• Confusion• Loss of coordination

• Sweating

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Moist Membranes

• Salivation, spit, tears

• Slow pulse

• Pinpoint Pupils

• Confusion

• Loss of coordination

Heat Injuries Pesticide Injuries

Be Safe