Pesticide
Drift
A Guide for Health
Service Providers
Printer-friendly PDF of this factsheet (132 KB)
What
is pesticide drift?
Any time a pesticide is used, some portion of the chemical “drifts”
away from the intended application site and into neighboring
areas.
Depending on the chemical, the application method, and weather conditions, pesticides may drift hundreds or even thousands of feet from the application site. Pesticide residues can drift while being applied, and they can drift over the hours and days following an application as the chemicals volatilize into the air.
Drifting pesticides are poisonous. They may damage crops or trees, sicken or kill animals, or damage the health of people living, working, or traveling near an application site.
Symptoms
of exposure:
Patients who have been exposed to pesticides often display
non-specific symptoms that mirror common conditions.
Drift victims may report poisoning symptoms almost immediately,
such as burning skin and eyes, sore throat, difficulty
breathing, headache or dizziness, nausea or vomiting.
Pesticide exposure also increases patients’ risk for long-term health conditions such as asthma, fatigue or depression, increased chemical sensitivity, neurological impairments, infertility, miscarriage or birth defects, and some cancers.
Advice to sprayed patients
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Eliminate all contact with pesticides. Remove all contaminated clothing, store it in a sealed bag and keep away from the sun. Shower and shampoo right away in clean water. Flush eyes with an eyewash or with clean water.
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If experiencing symptoms, contact a physician or NC Poison Control, at 1-800-222-1222
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Report the incident to the NC Pesticide Section.
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Keep track of all related information.
Assisting drift-affected patientsAsk about the patient’s environmental and occupational history. Questions that may help with farmworker patients:
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Were the fields wet when you were picking?
¿Estaban mojados los campos cuando estaba recogiendo? -
Was any spraying going on while you were working in the fields? ¿Se estaba asperjando mientras usted estaba trabajando en el campo?
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Was there spraying going on nearby? What crops were being cultivated there? ¿ Estaban asperjando en fildes o campos cercanos? ¿De que son los fildes cercano?
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Did you experience any strange smells, sights or tastes in the fields? ¿Sintio algun olor o sabor estraño en cuanto trabaja- ba en el campo? ¿Vio algo estraño?
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Do you get sick during or after working in the fields? ¿Se enferma durante el tiempo en ue esta trabajando en el campo o después?
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What pesticides were being used? ¿Sabe Usted cuales esticides fueron usados?
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If pesticide is un-known: What crops were you picking? ¿ Que estabas recogiendo?
Family members can be affectedFamilies of farmworkers may also be harmed by pesticides brought home from the fields. It is important to ask familes the following:
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Does the timing of your symptoms have any relationship to any family member’s arrival from work or hobby? ¿Existe alguna relacón entre el momento que dan inicio sus síntomas y la hora que llega algun familiar del trabajo o de un pasatiempo?
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Has any other household member or nearby neighbor suffered similar health problems? ¿Ha sufrido algún otro miembro del h ogar o vecino cercano de problemas de salud similares?
If pesticide exposure is confirmed or suspected, ask the patient and/or his or her employer for a product label and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), both of which will be helpful in assessing and treating the patient. The employer or pesticide applicator is required by law to have copies of labels and MSDS's on hand.
Source for pesticide-related questions: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, Reigart & Roberts, US EPA 1998.
Report pesticide violations
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All pesticide drift incidents or other spray violations should be reported to the NC Pesticide Section at (919) 733- 3556.
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Report pesticide drift, or any pesticide violation that occurs on the job or in housing provided or arranged by an employer, to the NC Department of Labor, Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau at (919) 807-2926.
Both enforcing agencies have Spanish-speaking staff on call, and will address all complaints, regardless of the legal status of the caller. Complaints can be also be made anonymously or by a third party.
Who is affected by drift?
Farm workers and their families are probably the population most frequently affected by drift because they work and often live so close to pesticide application sites. In NC, neighbors of spray sites have reported damage to health and property from pesticide drift at provate homes and businesses, public roadways, and at churches and public schools. Children, pregnant women, and the sick or eld- erly are at the greatest risk for long-term health damage from exposure to pesticide drift.
What to do if you are sprayed?
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Act quickly. Leave the area immediately and remove contaminated clothing.
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Get medical attention. Even if you do not feel sick, see your health care provider and be sure to tell them what happened. If possible, bring labels from the pesticide containers, or any infor-mation you can get about the pesticides.
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Report what happened. All pesticide drift incidents or other spray violations should be reported to the NC Pesticide Section at (919) 733-3556.
Report pesticide drift, or any pesticide violation that occurs on the job or in housing provided or arranged by an employer, to the NC Department of Labor, Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau.
Both enforcing agencies have
Spanish-speaking staff on call, and will address all
complaints, regardless of the legal status of the caller.
and complaints can be
made anonymously or by a third party.
-
Keep track of the incident and follow up.
Pesticides are Poisons.
For
more information and assistance:
Pesticide Drift Hotline:
1-877-NO-SPRAY
The hotline, operated by the non-profit
Toxic Free NC, provides information about specific
chemicals and assistance on reporting violations free
of charge, in English or Spanish, and regardless of
the caller’s
legal status in the United States.
Legal
Aid NC’s Raleigh office at 919-828-4647.
All Legal Aid staff can speak both Spanish and English
and can assist with related legal issues.