This is intended to share information about pesticide illness. The first segment describes general aspects of pesticide toxicology, pesticide illness epidemiology, and treatment. Following segments will discuss acute pesticide illness due to specific pesticide classes and chronic pesticide illness. This presentation is for educational purpose and was made for MA in Agricultural Education. Due recognition is given to the references of the information used in this presentation.

1. Pesticides and
Environmental
Hazards
Prepared by:
Melanie B. Bargo

2. Pesticide Toxicology
Many toxin categories
Affect various organs
Varied health effects
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Diagram illustrating various pesticide-related health effects.

3. Definition of Pesticide
“Any substance or mixture of substances
intended for preventing, destroying,
repelling, or mitigating any insects,
rodents, nematodes, fungi, or weeds, or
any other forms of life declared to be
pests; any substance or mixture of
substances intended for use as a plant
regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.”
--Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (US EPA, 1947)
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4. US Pesticide Use
 4.5 billion pounds
chemicals per year
 890 active ingredients,
30,000 formulations
 Uses
 75% agricultural
 25% home, garden,
structural
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5. Agricultural Pesticide Use
 High volume:
 Hand labor (Western states)
 Vineyards
 Orchard, row vegetables,
nursery
 Low volume:
 Mechanized (Midwest states)
 Livestock insecticide dipping
 Grain agriculture
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6. Pesticide Exposure:
Occupational Settings
 Multiple industries
Agriculture
Emergency response
Maintenance
Transportation
 Variety of workers
Applicators, fieldworkers
Firefighters
Medical personnel
Flight attendants
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NEETF 2002

7. Pesticide Exposure:
Environmental-Occupational Interface
Drift
Off-target physical
movement of pesticide
through air
Take-home
Contaminated clothing
Pesticide containers
brought home
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8. Pesticide Exposure:
Environmental Settings
Use in schools
Lawn, garden use
Household cleaning
Home pesticide use
Residues in food
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9. Pesticide Exposure:
Accidental Ingestion
Improper storage or
mislabeling of
containers
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Prescription pesticides
resembling oral
medications
Photo:
John
P.
Lamb,
Pharm
D.,
California
Poison
Control
Center
Source:
EPA
Australia

10. Pesticide Illness Around the World
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Costa
Rica
Sri
Lanka
Sweden
U.K.
U.S.A.
Fatalities
Hospitalizations
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Annual rates of intentional and unintentional pesticide-
related fatalities and hospitalizations in several countries

11. US EPA Toxicity Classification
(Systemic toxicity, eye irritation, skin irritation)
Class I: “Danger”
Fatal if ingested; corneal opacity; corrosive to skin
Class II: “Warning”
May be fatal if ingested; reversible corneal opacity;
severe skin irritation
Class III: “Caution”
Harmful if ingested; no corneal opacity;
moderate skin irritation
Class IV: “Caution”
May be harmful if ingested; no eye irritation;
mild/no skin irritation
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12. Aspects of History that Suggest
Pesticide Illness
Multiple cases
Similar symptoms, exposure history
History of chemical application
Home or office
Accidental ingestion, esp. children
Suicide, homicide attempts
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13. Pesticide Illness
Nonspecific Symptoms & Signs
Rash
Flu-like symptoms
Dizziness, malaise, respiratory tract
irritation
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Seizures
Odor-related effects
Not toxicological effects of active
ingredient
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14. Pesticide Illness May Mimic
Common Medical Conditions
 Mild:
Upper respiratory tract infection/influenza
Food-borne illness
Asthma
Plant-induced irritant or allergic dermatitis
 Severe:
Cerebrovascular accident
Psychiatric dysfunction
Heat stroke
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15. How to Identify Pesticides
 Application records
 Label
 Material Safety Data Sheet
 www.msdsonline.com
 http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html
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16. Treatment of Pesticide Illness
Decontamination
Shower, shampoo
Scrub under fingernails
Contain contaminated clothing,
body fluids
Save for residue analysis
Protect treating staff
Body fluid precautions
Personal protective
equipment if appropriate
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17. Pesticide Illness
Medical Treatment
Symptomatic treatment
Respiratory distress
Maintain airway, breathing, circulation
Oxygen, bronchodilators if indicated
Ingestion
Gastric lavage, charcoal if indicated
Specific antidotes where applicable
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18. Poison Control Centers
Toxicity
Decontamination
Management
Reporting
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19. Environmental Hazards
Natural phenomena
Human Activities
Controlling environmental hazards: goal
of reducing risk to human life and health
Is zero risk attainable?

20. Five Major Areas of Environmental
Concern Re. Health
Waste management
Air pollution
Outdoor air
Indoor air
Water pollution
Radiation

21. Wastes and Environmental
Hazards
Four contributing factors
Urbanization
Industrialization
Population growth
Introduction of disposable products
and containers

22. Solid Waste and Its
Management
Solid waste as part of modern life
Four major sources
Agricultural
Mining
Industry 5%
Municipalities/Domestic Sources 5%
Together, about
90-91%

23. Disposal of Solid Wastes
 Sanitary Landfills
 Incineration
 Resource Recovery (Recycling)
 Source Reduction
 Four characteristics making a waste hazardous:
Ignitability
Corrosiveness
Reactivity
Toxicity

24.  Dual problems faced today:
Appropriately disposing of new hazardous waste
Correcting mishandling errors of the past
 Five Approaches to Hazardous Waste
Secured Landfill
Deep Well Injection
Incineration
Recycling
Source Reduction

25. Water Pollution
Types of Water Pollution
• Biological pollutants
• Toxic pollutants
• Other/Miscellaneous pollutants
Strategies to Insure Safe Water
• Clean Water Act (1972)
• Focus of EPA regulations
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (1974)

26. Outdoor Air Pollution
 Most Prevalent Sources
 Transportation
 Electric power plants
 Industry, primarily mills and refineries
 Special Concerns with Outdoor Air
 Acid rain
 Smog
 Reduction of the ozone layer
 Global warning (controversial)

27. Indoor Air Pollution
 Numerous sources resulting from human
actions
 Aeroallergens
 Radon
Radiation
 Naturally Occurring Radiation
 Human-made Radiation

28.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in
1970 and given responsibility for all environmental media
(air, water, land) and most of the major pollution control
programs. However, the federal departments of Interior,
Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Defense (and,
later, Energy) retained considerable control over specific
environmental agency regulatory functions
ENVIRONMENTAL
LEGISLATION/POLICIES

29. Let us take care of our
environment. Work for the risk
reduction of environmental
hazards.
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30. Thank you!
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