Key facts. Pesticides can prevent the spread of pests. Pesticides contain active ingredients that can harm humans. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning occur within 2 days of exposure.
Symptoms of mild poisoning include fatigue, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, excessive sweating and salivation, nausea and vomiting, and stomach cramps or diarrhea. Symptoms of moderate poisoning include inability to walk, weakness, chest discomfort, muscle twitches, and constriction of the pupil of the eye.
Irritation of skin and eyes. Irritability to sound and touch, abnormal facial sensation, sensation of prickling, tingling/creeping on skin and numbness. Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased salivation, fatigue. In severe cases: fluid in lungs and muscle twitching may develop.
If possible, they should stay inside or avoid the area for about 30 minutes after spraying. If pesticides are applied inside the home, windows should be opened to allow air flow. People should avoid touching sprayed areas and leave the room until the pesticide has dried.
Human Exposure
Call the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 for help with first aid information. The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) (800) 858-7378 also can provide information about pesticide products and their toxicity.
Most pesticides are broken down and removed from the body by the liver and kidneys. These organs also remove prescription drugs from the body. The liver and kidneys may become less able to remove pesticides from the body if someone is taking several types of prescription drugs.
With chronic toxicity, gastrointestinal symptoms are common. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are generally seen. The toxidrome known as cinchonism can occur in chronic toxicity.
Pesticides in agriculture and urban settings have the potential to contaminate our air, affecting human, animal and plant health. Some pesticide ingredients stay in the atmosphere for only a short period of time, while others can last longer.
The best way to determine whether your pest control is effective is to wait at least 24 hours after your service. This will give the pesticide enough time to kill the insects. Then, wait three or four hours before going inside to evaluate whether you can go inside the house after that.
Give It Some Air!
After applying Raid® spray products such as Raid® Mosquito and Fly Killer, give the treated room or area some air! Exit the treated area and keep the room closed for 15 minutes. Then thoroughly ventilate before re-entry. Read the product label for more detailed instructions.
Biomarkers are used to detect the effects of pesticides before adverse clinical health effects occur. Pesticides and their metabolites are measured in biological samples, serum, fat, urine, blood, or breast milk by the usual analytical techniques.
At the same time, many chemicals – including some pesticides – have odors that can be bothersome. In some cases, chemical odors can make people sick or affect their quality of life. If a pesticide odor is causing problems for you, call the County Agricultural Commissioner to report it.
Some symptoms of pesticide exposure will go away as soon as the exposure stops. Others may take some time to go away. For people exposed to pesticides on a regular basis, long-term health effects are a concern.
Signal words are found on pesticide product labels, and they describe the acute (short-term) toxicity of the formulated pesticide product. The signal word can be either: DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION. Products with the DANGER signal word are the most toxic. Products with the signal word CAUTION are lower in toxicity.
unlocked cabinet within a child's reach—a significant figure since 13 percent of all pesticide poisonings occur in homes other than that of the child. Immediate short-term effects include: Headaches, • Dizziness, • Muscle twitching, • Weakness, • Tingling sensations, and • Nausea.
Many pesticides are readily removed by the body ( e.g., in urine or feces) in a matter of hours or days.
Most pesticide poisoning comes from contact with pesticides over weeks, months, or years, not from using them only once. People may not get sick from pesticides until many years later. In adults, it can take 5, 10, 20, 30 years or more to get sick from regular exposure.
Activated Charcoal: Place activated charcoal or charcoal-based air purifiers in affected areas to absorb odors. Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and upholstery, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it up. Odor Absorbers: Use commercial odor absorbers or air fresheners to neutralize odors.
What about ventilation? If the pesticide is a dust or leaves dust behind, try to minimize air movement. Turn off air-handling systems and close windows. Dry dust can be cleaned using wet methods to reduce its movement into the air.
Regardless of the type of pest treatment that was applied, a good general rule of thumb is to give pest control treatments 2-4 hours to set in and then an extra 30 min to breathe with windows open and fans on to allow fresh air to flow through before returning.
Hold the fruit or vegetable under flowing water in a strainer. This removes more pesticide than dunking the produce. The FDA does not recommend washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash. They have not been proven to be any more effective than water alone.
Urine and blood tests may be able to detect pesticide residues or metabolites to confirm acute exposures. Q: If a family member swallows pesticides, what should be done first? A: Read and follow the label's first aid instructions. Call the Poison Information Network for further direction.