Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.4
Various types of dry formulations of pesticides.
3.
Concentration
Agricultural pesticide handlers usually are exposed to highly concentrated
pesticides during the mixing and loading process. Mixers/loaders of pesticides
may be handling formulations with very high levels of active ingredients; 80
percent wettable powder formulations and 8-pounds-per-gallon emulsifiable
concentrates are not unusual. Ultra-low volume concentrates and fumigant
formulations may be close to 100 percent active ingredient and often have a
high level of acute toxicity. Protecting handlers from exposure to these highly
concentrated pesticides is clearly a priority when recommending PPE.
Many agricultural pesticides, however, are ready-to-use (RTU) formula-
tions with very low levels of active ingredients; 5 percent granular or dust
formulations are common, and low-concentrate solutions containing 10 per-
cent or less of active ingredient are typical for some livestock formulations.
Basing PPE guidelines on mixing and loading activities may not be appropri-
ate for those low concentrations.
4.
Additives and Inert Ingredients
Another variation among formulations of agricultural pesticides is the
plethora of additives and "inert" ingredients added to the active ingredients to
create each formulation. These ingredients may contribute to the exposure risk
