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. Exposure to pesticides can cause mild, moderate, or severe poisoning, depending on the level of toxicity. Your body's reaction may also be immediate, while other side effects may occur in the next few hours or even days.
Sweating, headaches, nausea, dizziness, thirst, weakness, skin and eye irritations are some of the mild side effects of pesticide exposure. Most often, pesticides affect the nervous system (the body's system that controls nerves and muscles). The general health effects of acute (short-term) exposures or poisoning are listed in the table below. Most sprays and powders can cause respiratory problems in humans and pets.
Remember, they're designed to deal with the insects you're spraying. They can also cause skin irritation, dizziness and headaches, etc. Depending on your sensitivity to them, you may need to seek medical attention. On your own, you can also learn to differentiate between the different pesticide products on the market.
Store pesticides only in their original containers and keep the original label attached to the package. Skin contact, inhalation and ingestion are the three main ways of being exposed to the harmful effects of pesticides. Using pest control, whether in the home, in the yard, in the field, on the farm, or even on pets, requires human participation, which also involves human exposure to chemicals. The control program should list the specific names of the pests to be controlled and the chemicals to be used; it should also reflect any of your safety concerns.
Some pesticide products have only the warning word DANGER, which tells you nothing about acute toxicity, only that the product can cause serious eye damage or severe skin irritation. Baseline testing should always be performed during the time of year when no pesticides are used, or at least 30 days after the most recent exposure. Applying a pesticide with high-pressure, ultra-low-volume, or fogging equipment can increase the danger because the droplets are smaller and can be transported in the air for considerable distances. When it's time to apply pesticides, avoid transferring the product to containers that you use personally for food or beverages.
Now, hiring a pest control company doesn't guarantee 100% safety because there are still other factors to consider. Given the safety hazards of pesticides, it's much better to keep your house clean so you don't have any reason to use them in the first place. While spraying pesticides, some splashes fell out of my eyes, I immediately washed my eyes with water, now I feel better, but as I twinkle, I feel irritation in my right eye what to do. Some people react to the strong odor and irritating effects of petroleum distillates used as carriers in pesticide products.
The hazard, or risk, of pesticide use is the potential for injury or the degree of danger involved in using a pesticide under a given set of conditions. Pesticide products classified as mildly toxic or relatively non-toxic (toxicity categories III and IV) should have the warning word CAUTION on the pesticide label. . .
