Farm Families' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Pesticide Application and Protective Clothing: A Five- State Comparison

A survey offarm families in five states was conducted to determine attitudes and practices regarding pesticide application and protective clothing. Specific objectives included determining relationships among actual risk factors, perceived risk, and precautionary activities as well as identifying practices that needed modification in order to reduce risks associated with use ofpesticides. Some analyses suggested a positive relationship between actual and perceived risk measures whereas others did not. For example, the two states reporting the highest use ofmore toxic chemicals and greatest incidence of healthproblems related to pesticide application also accounted for the highest average ratings on the overall perceived health risk scale. On the other hand, the majority of growers in each state assumed that common work clothingprotected them from dermal exposure regardless ofthe formulation or application method they were using. Although most growers reported following recommended practices such as wearing gloves during pesticide application and storing pesticide-soiled clothing separatefrom other laundry, enough deviation occurred to indicate the need for continuing education on pesticide hazards.

[1]  David J. Severn,et al.  Dermal Exposure to Pesticides: The Environmental Protection Agency's Viewpoint , 1985 .

[2]  H R Wolfe,et al.  Exposure of workers to pesticides. , 1967, Archives of environmental health.

[3]  D CULVER,et al.  Studies of human exposure during aerosol application of malathion and chlorthion. , 1956, A.M.A. archives of industrial health.

[4]  J. Lokich,et al.  Familial mesothelioma after intense asbestos exposure at home. , 1978, JAMA.

[5]  K. M. Mcgee,et al.  California Pesticide Applicators' Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Use and Care of Protective Clothing , 1986 .

[6]  Donald W. Lamb.  Early Studies with Azinphos Methyl to Determine Re-Entry Times for Citrus Pickers , 1980 .

[7]  Joan Laughlin,et al.  Fabric Parameters and Pesticide Characteristics That Impact on Dermal Exposure of Applicators , 1986 .

[8]  G E QUINBY,et al.  Parathion residues as a cause of poisoning in crop workers. , 1958, Journal of the American Medical Association.

[9]  Joan Laughlin,et al.  Laundering procedures for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid ester and amine herbicides from contaminated fabrics , 1983 .

[10]  Roger L. Barker,et al.  Performance of Protective Clothing , 1986 .

[11]  D C Staiff,et al.  Exposure of spraymen to pesticides. , 1972, Archives of environmental health.

[12]  G S BATCHELOR,et al.  Health hazards involved in use of parathion in fruit orchards of North Central Washington. , 1954, A.M.A. archives of industrial health.

[13]  J R Bradley,et al.  Exposure of field workers to organophosphorus insecticides: Cotton , 1979, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[14]  Charles Vlek,et al.  Judging risks and benefits in the small and in the large , 1981 .

[15]  Jacquelyn Orlando DeJonge,et al.  Attitudes, Practices, and Preferences of Pesticide Users Toward Protective Apparel , 1983 .

[16]  Gunter Zweig,et al.  Dermal exposure related to pesticide use : discussion of risk assessment : based on a symposium sponsored by the Division of Pesticide Chemistry at the 187th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, St. Louis, Missouri, April 8-13, 1984 , 1985 .

[17]  R. Gold,et al.  Exposure of urban applicators to carbaryl , 1982, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[18]  J W Elliott,et al.  Absorption and excretion of parathion by spraymen. , 1972, Archives of environmental health.

[19]  Donna Branson,et al.  Pesticide Deposition Patterns On Garments During Air Blast Field Spraying , 1985 .

[20]  W P Cahill,et al.  Exposure of pesticide applicators and support personnel toO-ethylO-(4-nitrophenyl) phenylphosphonothioate (EPN) , 1982, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[21]  R C Spear,et al.  Correlation of urinary pesticide metabolite excretion with estimated dermal contact in the course of occupational exposure to Guthion. , 1981, Journal of toxicology and environmental health.

[22]  F. McDermott,et al.  Efficacy of home laundering in removal of DDT, methyl parathion and toxaphene residues from contaminated fabrics , 1974, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[23]  Baruch Fischhoff,et al.  Informing people about risk , 1980 .

[24]  T. Lavy,et al.  Field Studies Monitoring Worker Exposure to Pesticides , 1983 .

[25]  J. Bellin.  Don't take your 'work' home with you. , 1981, Occupational health & safety.

[26]  A R Putnam,et al.  Exposure of pesticide applicators to nitrofen: influence of formulation, handling systems, and protective garments. , 1983, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[27]  Alan P. Nielsen,et al.  Protective clothing and the agricultural worker , 1986 .