By Lisa Hickey
Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. A minimum score of 70% is required to receive credit.
The Florida citrus industry plays a crucial role in the state’s economy. However, the use of pesticides in citrus groves introduces significant risks to both human health and the environment. Pesticides kill, control or alter the life cycles of agricultural pests. However, improper use can cause impacts to the applicator, other people or non-target organisms. Understanding your risks, taking precautions and preparing a safety plan are integral to the pesticide-application process.
This article examines those risks and outlines strategies for safe pesticide use and emergency preparedness.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
EPA documented pesticide-related poisoning in Florida’s citrus industry for decades. According to an EPA report, between 1998 and 2009, there were 12 reported cases of harmful exposure to a specific restricted-use pesticide in Florida. The pesticide was aldicarb, a highly toxic carbamate. In Florida, the application of a restricted-use pesticide requires a pesticide license, so the applicator understands the implications of toxic pesticides and exposure to them.
ROUTES OF PESTICIDE EXPOSURE
Pesticides can enter the body through four primary routes: dermal (skin), ocular (eye), inhalation and ingestion.
Dermal exposure is the most common route, accounting for up to 97% of exposure during spraying. It can occur through contact with dust, mist or spills during mixing, application or disposal. Prolonged skin contact can lead to irritation, blistering or more serious long-term health effects. Warm, moist skin absorbs pesticides. Keep this in mind for your forehead, armpits, groin, top of feet and the back of hands.
Ocular exposure is most common with splashes during mixing and loading or from drift of fine spray particles in the wind. Pesticide can get into eyes from sweat carrying pesticide there or from the applicator rubbing their eyes. Pesticide in the eyes has a secondary risk that it can obscure vision and make finding proper decontamination supplies difficult. Wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and being aware of wind direction reduces the risk of eye exposure.
Inhalation is particularly dangerous because pesticide vapors are often undetectable until symptoms appear. These may include dizziness, nausea, respiratory distress or, in severe cases, unconsciousness. Greenhouse workers are especially susceptible to inhalation issues. Workers must have proper protection.
Ingestion is less common but can occur if individuals eat, drink or smoke without washing their hands after handling pesticides. Contaminated food or drink can also lead to ingestion, resulting in symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain and nausea. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services documented cases of accidental ingestion of pesticide by drinking a soda from a container that had temporary storage of pesticide.
Absorption of pesticides by the skin differs by locality on the body. Note the absorption rates in Table 1 for parathion by bodily region. Parathion was a formerly used insecticide with systemic toxicity that has been removed from the market.
| Body Region | Percent Relative Absorption |
| Forearm | 8.6 |
| Palm of hand | 11.8 |
| Ball of foot | 13.5 |
| Abdomen | 18.4 |
| Scalp | 32.1 |
| Forehead | 36.3 |
| Ear Canal | 46.5 |
| Genitalia | 100 |
Table 1. Parathion absorption rate by body region.
TOXICITY LEVELS AND SIGNAL WORDS
Signal words on pesticide labels indicate the product’s level of toxicity:
- Caution – Low toxicity
- Warning – Moderate toxicity
- Danger – High toxicity
- Danger (with skull and crossbones) – Extreme toxicity
Understanding signal words is essential for selecting appropriate protective measures and responding effectively in case of accidental exposure. Toxicity can be as mild as a headache or as severe as coma or death. Seek medical advice for any level of toxicity.
SHORT- AND LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS
Acute exposure is short-term, within hours with immediate symptoms. Chronic exposure is more than one exposure over a prolonged period. Chronic symptoms may take up to a week or longer to express themselves.
If you have had pesticide exposure or work in areas where there is potential of pesticide application, be aware of short-term and long-term exposure symptoms:
Short-term/acute:
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting
- Excessive salivation, sweating, weakness
- Eye or skin irritation
- Respiratory distress
- Confusion, tremors or seizures
Long-term/chronic exposure:
- Neurological disorders (e.g., tremors, memory loss)
- Cancer (e.g., non-Hodgkin lymphoma)
- Immune system suppression
- Reproductive issues and hormonal disruptions (can impact pregnant women and their unborn children)
If you experience any of these symptoms potentially related to pesticide exposure, report to your supervisor and seek medical attention. Symptoms of pesticide exposure can also mimic the onset of heat stress. Oftentimes, applicators are at risk for both. The onset symptoms can be rapid pulse, trembling and muscular incoordination. Severe symptoms include the inability to breathe, pinpoint pupils, chemical burns on skin, unconsciousness or death.
REDUCE RISK
Avoid pesticide exposure with proper preparation for the application. Read the label before purchasing, mixing, applying, storing or disposing of pesticide containers. Online resources are available to understand a pesticide’s toxicity before purchasing it. Labels also list chronic toxicity warning statements, further emphasizing the importance of reading the label before you purchase the product.
One last word on exposure or the risk of exposure. Pesticide risk is defined as “risk = hazard (toxicity) + exposure.” Which can we control? We cannot change the toxicity of pesticides, so the only part of the equation we can change to reduce risk is to reduce exposure. This is ideal as we have full control of wearing the proper PPE, following label requirements and properly decontaminating after any exposure.
Preventive measures include:
- Use PPE as required on pesticide labels.
- Follow all safety instructions and re-entry intervals.
- Ensure proper storage and disposal of pesticides.
- Clean up any spills immediately and wash hands after working with pesticides to prevent cross contamination.
EMERGENCY PLANNING
Key steps to emergency planning include:
- Making sure you are up to date with EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS) training. Contact your local University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension office if you are unsure when the last WPS update training occurred.
- Checking that the required, centrally located WPS poster on emergency response is legible and updated with contact information for the supervisor, local hospital and poison control information
- Routinely going over your contingency plan for emergencies
- Annually training workers and pesticide handlers to ensure they can recognize pesticide poisoning symptoms, properly respond to spills and exposures and perform emergency contact procedures
- Having spill kits readily available, including gloves, absorbents, goggles or other protection items
- Labeling and securing pesticides properly
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
There are immediate actions to takewhen you are exposed to pesticides or find an exposed person. Ensure your own safety, leave the area, notify someone and don the required PPE. If there is another individual impacted, remove the affected person from the exposure area.Decontaminate by removing contaminated clothing and rinsing skin with water.If inhalation occurred, move to fresh air immediately.
When accidental ingestion of a pesticide occurs, do not induce vomiting unless directed by a medical professional. The label will warrant vomiting or not. Making someone vomit without direction to do so from a medical professional or the label can cause something called aspiration. This is where the pesticide and stomach contents can get into the lungs, which is a serious medical problem. Contact Poison Control at 800-222-1222. Be prepared to provide information on the pesticide involved, exposure details and symptoms.
FIRST AID
First aid depends on the route of exposure: inhalation, skin contact, ingestion or eye contact. Pesticide labels have a First Aid section that covers exposure solutions. Clem Cirelli Jr. wrote an excellent article about pesticide labels. Refer to the article to see what the First Aid section offers for the pesticide applicant. Meanwhile, consider these pointers:
- If possible, move to fresh air immediately if inhalation occurred.
- Remove contaminated clothing.
- Rinse skin thoroughly with water for 15 to 20 minutes (use soap if available, but do not delay rinsing).
- Rinse eyes with clean water or saline for at least 15 minutes, keeping eyelids open. Brett Bultemeier, director of the UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office provides an article on this procedure.
- Watch for headache, dizziness, muscle twitching or weakness, excessive salivation, sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, confusion or convulsions (in severe cases).
AVOID EXPOSURE DURING ACCIDENTAL SPILLS
Planning your pesticide application reduces potential pesticide exposure. However, if an incident occurs, evacuate the area immediately, notify everyone nearby and notify a supervisor or safety officer.
Always wear appropriate PPE and start to retain the spill if trained and safe to do so. Stay upwind of the spill to avoid inhaling fumes. Use a spill containment kit which should include items like absorbent pads or neutralizers.
Do not touch spilled material without PPE. Also do not try to wash down the spill with water unless you are trained; this can spread contamination. Until the area is safe from potential pesticide exposure, do not re-enter it.
MORE CONSIDERATIONS
A strong recommendation is to keep your pesticide applicator equipment calibrated and in good working condition. A leaking nozzle can apply more pesticide than intended. The law does not allow using more pesticide than the label rate. On the other hand, clogged nozzles do not apply enough pesticide, potentially impacting product efficacy. Machinery in good working condition reduces the chances of an accidental exposure.
Check your PPE before every use. To reduce exposure, inspect the PPE for tears or imperfections. Does your PPE fit adequately? Consider double-gloving, particularly if the gloves are inexpensive and thin. If you are doing an overhead pesticide application on citrus trees, wear a hat and tuck your sleeves into the gloves. Wearing a hat during application means you will need to clean it, as well as the other clothing worn during the application. If you wear leather boots during pesticide application, they need to be replaced occasionally. The leather absorbs the pesticides. Eventually, there will be enough product in the leather to expose the feet to harmful vapors.
When it comes to PPE, do not forget about the respirator. You need a medical examination to make sure your body can manage restricted breathing through the respirator. Ensure the respirator fits your face properly. Do not wear someone else’s respirator before doing a fit test for the respirator. You must have at a minimum an annual fit test and annual training. The use of a respirator means you are potentially exposed to a toxic, restricted-use pesticide, and the label has dictated the use of the respirator. The respirator enhances your protection from exposure.
Consider using seat covers in your work and personal vehicles. Getting in and out of the vehicle after an application can carry pesticides into your vehicle. Clean your vehicle with soap and water if you have the vehicle parked on the job site near a pesticide application area in the citrus grove.
CONCLUSION
Understanding the harmful effects of pesticide exposure, recognizing symptoms of poisoning and implementing effective emergency response plans are essential for protecting the health and safety of farmworkers and the environment. Be deliberate in the pesticide application process and mindful of the risks of improper application and accidental exposure. Always follow the label requirements. Following the recommendations in this article can reduce your chances of pesticide exposure.
Sources:
- Applying Pesticides Correctly
- Pesticides: Fact Sheet for Ethyl Parathion
- Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning
Lisa Hickey is a UF/IFAS sustainable ag Extension agent in the Southwest District Extension office.
To request a hard copy of the article and test, or if you have questions regarding this article, test or CEUs, contact the author at lisa.hickey@ufl.edu at 941-479-1704. Please allow two weeks to process your CEU request.