The Rural Voice, 1988-07, Page 28SAFETY FIRST
PESTICIDE USE ON THE FARM
by Cathy Laird
Every year research yields more benefits for the
agricultural industry. In the area of chemicals,
testing produces more effective and safer pesticides.
But "safety first" should always be the motto of the
farmer who uses the products.
Pesticides fall into five categories: herbicides,
insecticides, fumigants, fungicides, and rodenticides.
All pesticides are potentially dangerous if precau-
tions are not followed. The single most important
thing a farmer can do before using any chemical is
read the label.
Pesticides cause injury to the human body in three
different ways: by being absorbed through the skin
surface, inhaled, or ingested. Chemicals are avail-
able in various forms, and anyone who applies,
mixes, dilutes, or loads pesticides is at risk.
Herbicides and insecticides are
available as emulsions, wettable
powders, suspensions, dusts, fogs, and
granules. These two important groups
of chemicals have different toxicity
rates. Insecticides for the home and
garden contain the lowest levels of
poison. Products designed for use on
livestock and pets have a medium-
high level, and insecticides for crop
use are the most highly toxic of all.
Whether pesticides are injected,
sprayed, or powdered, the two risks
involved are breathing in the sprays or
dusts and absorbing the chemical
through the skin. When pesticides are
applied by machine, contamination
can occur when handling or adjusting
the machinery, mixing and pouring the
chemicals, or inhaling the drifting
application. Thorough hand -washing
prevents the chemicals from entering
the digestive system.
Chemicals are stored in fatty
tissues after entering the body.
ABSORPTION
RATES
COMPARED
TO FOREARM
WHICH IS 1.0
SCALP 3.7
FOREHEAD 4.2
EAR CANAL 5.4
SCROTAL AREA 11.8
Herbicides and pesticides principally
interfere with the nerves of the glands
and the smooth muscle and heart mus-
cle nerves. When the nerve centres in
the brain are affected, the breathing
and motor functions of the body are
impaired. The respiratory system ef-
fects are secondary, but are still seri-
ous because they hamper breathing.
The extent of reactions depends on
four factors: one, the amount of the
chemical absorbed; two, the speed of
absorption (rates are different for
different parts of the body); three, the
length of the chemical's stay in the
body; and four, the amount of the
chemical already present in the body
due to previous exposures.
The symptoms and signs of
chemical poisoning are headache,
dizziness, weakness, twitching/inco-
ordination, nausea, cramps, diarrhea,
sweating, blurred vision, or any com-
bination of these symptoms. Respir-
atory symptoms can also occur, such
FOREARM 1.0
PALM 1.3 .
as chest pain, cough, and wheezing.
Any unusual persistent symptom
should be treated medically. The
general treatment is an intravenous
dosage of atropine along with a com-
plete decontamination of the body and
clothing.
The other three classifications of
pesticides are linked together: fumi-
gants, fungicides, and rodenticides.
These classes may contain different
chemical bases, so reading the label is
critical. Most of these chemicals are
highly toxic and extreme care should
be given to their handling and use,
especially in terms of the correct
safety devices and protective clothing.
These chemicals come in different
forms, including liquids, liquid gas,
aerosols, crystals, and slow-release
tablets. While some fumigants are
injected into the soil, most are used in
buildings such as greenhouses, poultry
houses, fruit and grain storage areas,
and barns.
26 THE RURAL VOICE