Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Pesticide Illness
Pesticide Illness
Part I:
Background, Epidemiology,
Recognition, Diagnosis, Management
Prepared by:
Rupali Das, MD, MPH, California Department of Health Services,
Michael O’Malley, MD, MPH, University of California, Davis,
Laura Styles, MPH, Public Health Institute
Pesticide Toxicology
Manytoxin
categories
Affect
various
organs
Varied health
effects
4
Agricultural Pesticide Use
High volume:
– Hand labor (Western states)
Vineyards
5
Pesticide Exposure:
Occupational Settings
Multiple industries
– Agriculture
– Emergency response
– Maintenance
– Transportation
Variety of workers
– Applicators, fieldworkers
– Firefighters
– Medical personnel
– Flight attendants
6
NEETF 2002
Pesticide Exposure:
Environmental-Occupational Interface
Drift
– Off-target physical
movement of pesticide
through air
Take-home
– Contaminated clothing
– Pesticide containers
brought home
7
Pesticide Exposure:
Environmental Settings
Use in schools
Lawn, garden use
Household
cleaning
Home pesticide
use
Residues in food
8
Human Exposure to Pesticides
SecondNational Report on Human
Exposure to Environmental Chemicals
– http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
Pesticides
or metabolites detected in
general population, 1999-2000
– Organophosphates
– Organochlorines
– Carbamates
– Herbicides
– Pest Repellents & Disinfectants
9
Pesticide Exposure:
Accidental Ingestion
Improper storage Prescription
or mislabeling of pesticides
containers resembling oral
medications
10
Pesticide Exposure:
Suicide/Homicide
Unknown substance
Secondary exposure
11
Unintentional Pesticide Illness, USA
Toxic Exposure Surveillance System 1993-1996
scale
Number of Illnesses, Log
100000
10000
1000
100 Minor
Moderate
10 Major
Fatal
1
Illness severity
s
s
ts
es
es
de
t
de
an
an
id
id
i
ci
ic
ic
tic
ig
ct
bi
ng
ct
fe
en
er
se
in
Fu
Fu
od
H
is
In
D
12
Surveillance of Pesticide Illness
States with ongoing
surveillance
– Arizona, California,
Florida, Louisiana, New
York, Oregon, Texas,
Washington
States with previous
pilot or periodic
surveillance programs
– Iowa, South Carolina,
Wisconsin
13
Methods, Results of Surveillance
Surveillance-based
illness detection:
Emergency department
treatment of
organophospate
toxicity
Automatic insecticide
dispenser units
Reporting required
Reporting not required Occupational use of
flea-control products
14
Pesticide Illness
Rates Vary by Occupation
Organophosphate pesticide poisoning rates by agricultural sector
California, 1982--1990
15
Source: HS-1688, Cal EPA
Pesticide Illness Around the World
Annual rates of intentional and unintentional pesticide-
related fatalities and hospitalizations in several countries
1000
800
600
400
200
0 Hospitalizations
Costa Fatalities
Sri
Rica Sweden
Lanka U.K.
U.S.A.
16
US EPA Toxicity Classification
(Systemic toxicity, eye irritation, skin irritation)
Class I: “Danger”
– Fatal if ingested; corneal opacity; corrosive to
skin
Class II: “Warning”
– May be fatal if ingested; reversible corneal
opacity; severe skin irritation
Class III: “Caution”
– Harmful if ingested; no corneal opacity;
moderate skin irritation
Class IV: “Caution”
– May be harmful if ingested; no eye irritation;
mild/no skin irritation
17
Common Components of
Pesticide Formulations
Technical grade chemical
(active ingredient)
Adjuvants/synergists
“Inert” ingredients
– e.g., formaldehyde, sulfuric
acid, benzene, toluene, other
organic solvents
18
Diagnosis of Pesticide Illness
Exposure history most important
– Occupational and environmental history
– Duration, dose, route of potential
exposure
Symptom review
Physical exam & lab findings
19
Aspects of History that
Suggest Pesticide Illness
Multiple cases
– Similar symptoms, exposure history
History of chemical application
– Home or office
Accidental ingestion, esp. children
Suicide, homicide attempts
20
Pesticide Illness
Nonspecific Symptoms & Signs
Rash
Flu-like symptoms
– Dizziness, malaise, respiratory tract
irritation
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Seizures
Odor-related effects
– Not toxicological effects of active ingredient
21
Pesticide Illness May Mimic
Common Medical Conditions
Mild:
– Upper respiratory tract infection/influenza
– Food-borne illness
– Asthma
– Plant-induced irritant or allergic dermatitis
Severe:
– Cerebrovascular accident
– Psychiatric dysfunction
– Heat stroke
22
How to Identify Pesticides
Application records
Label
23
Sources of Pesticide Information
Internet
– EXTOXNET: http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/
– California Department of Pesticide Regulation:
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/label/labelque.htm
– Pesticide Action Network: http://www/pesticideinfo.org/index.html
Textbooks
– US EPA. Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings. 1999; 5 th
ed. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/healthcare
– R Krieger (ed). Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology. 2001; 2 nd ed.
24
Treatment of Pesticide Illness
Decontamination
Shower, shampoo
– Scrub under fingernails
Contain contaminated
clothing, body fluids
– Save for residue analysis
Protect treating staff
– Body fluid precautions
– Personal protective
equipment if appropriate
25
Pesticide Illness
Medical Treatment
Symptomatic treatment
– Respiratory distress
Maintainairway, breathing, circulation
Oxygen, bronchodilators if indicated
– Ingestion
Gastric lavage, charcoal if indicated
Specific antidotes where applicable
26
Poison Control Centers
Toxicity
Decontamination
Management
Reporting
27
Case
Applicator with Gastrointestinal Illness
27 year-old pesticide applicator with
dizziness, headache, body ache, nausea
and vomiting. Sprayed Carzol yesterday.
Exam: Weak (not flaccid), oriented;
orthostatic hypotension; exam otherwise
normal.
Cholinesterase normal compared to
laboratory reference range
28
Applicator with Gastrointestinal Illness
Discussion
Differential
etiology of
gastroenteritis
Pesticide-related
Food-borne
Viral
30
Pesticide Illness: Summary (II)
Occupational, environmental history
Clinical suspicion
Tests supplement clinical diagnosis
Treatment symptomatic, few
exceptions
31