Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Typical precautionary statements on pesticide labeling include:
•
May produce kidney and liver damage upon prolonged exposure.
•
Inhalation may cause delayed lung, nerve, or brain injury.
•
Liquid or vapor may cause serious skin or eye injury which may
have a delayed onset.
d.
Determining Delayed Effects
Because of the time delay between the exposure and the observable effect,
and because many other types of exposures may have occurred during the de-
lay, it is sometimes hard to identify the cause of a delayed effect. Although
some pesticides may cause delayed effects in laboratory animals, further stud-
ies are needed to determine whether these pesticides will affect humans the
same way.
When there is clear evidence that a pesticide may cause chronic, develop-
mental, reproductive, or systemic effects in humans, the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency will determine what steps are appropriate to reduce or elimi-
nate the risk. Such actions include:
•
removing the pesticide from use
•
requiring label warning statements about the possible effect
•
requiring specific personal protective equipment or safety systems be
used during handling of the pesticide
•
requiring changes in dosages, method or frequency of application,
and waiting times before entry or harvest/slaughter/grazing
•
restricting the use to certified applicators.
e.
Avoiding Delayed Effects
Scientists, pesticide manufacturers, and the Environmental Protection
Agency cannot yet be sure what the delayed effects of too much exposure to
individual pesticides or combinations of pesticides may be. It may be years
before there are clear answers on the effects of all the pesticides and combina-
tions of pesticides in use today. Meanwhile, it makes good sense to reduce
your exposure to all pesticides as much as possible.
