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Pesticide exposure
can happen in many ways: touching treated surfaces or objects, eating
or drinking food or water that contains pesticide residues, or
breathing in spray as a pesticide is used.
Routes
of Exposure
The most common
route of exposure to pesticides is through the skin. This type of
exposure often causes symptoms such as a rash. Your skin must come in
direct contact with the pesticide product for this to occur.
Exposure risk is high upon entering an area that has been recently
treated with pesticides, especially for children and animals.
Alternatively, after a (liquid) pesticide application dries, exposure
and risk to pesticides diminishes.
Children and
animals may have more significant health implications from pesticide
exposures than adults because of their low body weight and behaviors
such as crawling on the floor that may result in greater contact with
treated surfaces.
The best approach
to avoid pesticide exposure from an area that has been treated or
drifted on is to STAY
OUT. If you do enter a treated area and later find out
that an application occurred, leave the area at once and remove your
shoes and clothing. Wash affected areas with plenty of soap and warm
water after possible exposure to skin. Wash potentially contaminated
clothing separately in soap and hot water.
Treatment
If you, a member
of your family or a coworker has come in contact with a
pesticide, call the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
If the exposed person is unconscious, not breathing, or having
convulsions or seizures due to poison contact or ingestion, call 911 or
your local emergency number immediately.
Resources
Monthly Blast
written by Ugochukwu Uzoeghelu, MBBS, CPH, Agricultural Safety and
Health Intern for the SW Ag Center and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.
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