Exposure to pesticides can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, damage the central nervous system and kidneys, and increase the risk of cancer. Symptoms due to pesticide exposure may include headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, and nausea. An Official U.S. Government Website Using Official Websites.
Gov A. the government website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Pesticides are chemicals used to kill or control pests, including bacteria, fungi and other organisms, as well as insects and rodents. According to a recent survey, 75 percent of the U.S.
UU. Households used at least one pesticide product indoors during the past year. The most commonly used products are insecticides and disinfectants. Another study suggests that 80 percent of most people's exposure to pesticides occurs indoors and that measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside homes.
Sold as sprays, liquids, sticks, powders, crystals, balls and nebulizers. In 1990, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that about 79,000 children were involved in common household poisoning or pesticide exposures. In households with children under five years of age, almost half stored at least one pesticide product within reach of children. In addition to the active ingredient, pesticides also consist of ingredients that are used to transport the active agent.
These carrier agents are called inert in pesticides because they are not toxic to the target pest; however, some inerts are capable of causing health problems. National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) Pesticides are classified as semi-volatile organic compounds and include a variety of chemicals in various forms. In addition, the EPA is concerned that cyclodienes can cause long-term damage to the liver and central nervous system, as well as an increased risk of cancer. Early Research Shows Widespread Presence of Pesticide Residues in Households.
Read the label and follow the instructions. It is illegal to use any pesticide in any way that does not comply with the instructions on its label. Unless you have undergone special training and are certified, never use a pesticide that is restricted to state-certified pest control operators. These pesticides are simply too dangerous for an uncertified person to apply.
Use only pesticides approved for use by the general public and then only in recommended amounts; increasing the amount offers no further protection from pests and can be harmful to you and your plants and pets. Ventilate the area well after using pesticides. Use non-chemical methods of pest control when possible. Termite damage can be reduced or prevented by ensuring that wood construction materials do not come into direct contact with the ground and by storing firewood away from the home.
By properly fertilizing, watering and aerating lawns, the need for chemical pesticide treatments for lawns can be drastically reduced. If you decide to use a pest control company, choose one carefully. If you have unused or partially used pesticide containers that you want to dispose of, dispose of them according to label instructions or on special household hazardous waste collection days. If there are no such collection days in your community, work with others to organize them.
Keep exposure to moth repellents to a minimum. A pesticide often found in the home is paradichlorobenzene, an active ingredient commonly used in moth repellents. This chemical is known to cause cancer in animals, but there is substantial scientific uncertainty about the effects, if any, of long-term human exposure to paradichlorobenzene. EPA requires that products containing paradichlorobenzene carry warnings, such as avoiding breathing vapors, to warn users of possible short-term toxic effects.
Whenever possible, paradichlorobenzene and items that need to be protected against moths should be placed in trunks or other containers that can be stored in areas that are ventilated separately from the home, such as attics and separate garages. Paradichlorobenzene is also the key active ingredient in many air fresheners (in fact, some moth repellent labels recommend that these same products be used as air fresheners or deodorants). Proper ventilation and basic household cleaning will go a long way in preventing unpleasant odors. If chemicals must be used, use only recommended amounts, mix or dilute pesticides outdoors or in an isolated, well-ventilated area, apply to unoccupied areas, and dispose of unwanted pesticides safely to minimize exposure.
EPA Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (PDF) (53 pgs., 4.17 MB, About PDF) Pest Management in Schools. Designed to encourage school officials to adopt IPM practices to reduce children's exposure to pesticides; includes information on starting a program, success stories, and funding. Insect sprays, herbicides, and basically any type of eradicating chemical scare people. Consider the case of glyphosate, a 40-year-old herbicide that many consider extremely safe.
However, in recent years, concern about its effects on people and the environment has increased, leading to legal cases and an increase in requests for its regulation. I recently developed an ant problem in my house. Is it safe to use insecticide sprays to kill them? Find out why pest repellents can be especially unsafe for pregnant women. Learn the best ways to prevent insect bites outdoors, including free access to our ratings of eight insect repellent products.
Build & Buy Car Buying Service Save thousands of dollars on the MSRP with upfront dealership pricing information and a transparent car buying experience. Get ratings on the go and compare while you shop. Pesticide products vary depending on the active ingredient, the percentage of chemical in the formula, the insects they kill, and the method of administration (aerosol can, manual trigger sprayers, or other equipment). The label is the most important part of all pesticide products.
In addition to listing the active ingredients, the label specifically indicates whether the product is suitable for indoor or outdoor use, and gives instructions on where, how and when to use it. Pesticides approved for indoor use often use less toxic chemicals and are formulated to release less fumes into the closed atmosphere of a home. Ventilating after treatment helps reduce fumes. Outdoors, pesticide fumes dissipate more easily into the air.
Indoor pesticides often claim to be safer around pets, children, and food. Outdoors, you can more easily exclude children and pets from a pesticide-treated area. Meticulously following all label instructions and not abusing pesticides allows you to avoid inadvertently harming the environment, pets and other animals and people. When humans come into direct contact with pesticides in large quantities, it can cause acute poisoning or long-term health effects.
All pesticides used today are not genotoxic, which means they don't damage DNA, which can cause cancer or mutations. The negative effects of these pesticides occur only when exposure is above a certain safe level. Measurable levels of some pesticides are found in the air inside homes, but some also come from contaminated soil or dust that floats or is tracked from the outside. However, the authors also noted: “After application of the spray, pesticide residues settle on floors and surfaces, contributing to an increased risk of dermal contact for children who crawl and play on the floor.
Both active and inert ingredients in pesticides can be organic compounds; therefore, both could increase levels of organic substances in the air inside homes. Due to the adverse effects of pests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats, mice, bed bugs, and poisonous spiders, people resort to the use of chemical pesticides that are readily available in grocery stores. Some pesticides need more precautionary measures, such as removing sensitive items inside your property, avoiding areas near ignition, applying them to areas that are well ventilated, and making sure you don't saturate the area with the pesticide. There are no insecticide concentrates that a homeowner should use indoors by mixing them with water in a sprayer.
Since pesticides can be found far from the site of their original application, it is prudent to reduce the use of chemical pesticides both outdoors and indoors. Of all of these, skin exposure is the most common, so cover your skin when you are the one using the pesticide. The World Health Organization, or WHO, says that the leading cause of death from autopoisoning is a pesticide, and this occurs in low- and middle-income countries. Some pesticides are labeled as safe for use both indoors and in the yard, but these are only a small percentage of the enormous amount of pesticides available on the market.
However, as with other household products, it is currently unknown what concentrations of pesticides are needed to produce these effects. In agriculture, those at risk are people who are directly exposed to it, such as farmworkers who apply pesticides and others who are close to the area where pesticides were applied. But what about those who are not lucky enough to enjoy the services of Go-Forth Pest Control? What are your options? Many homeowners rely heavily on chemical pesticides. .
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