Pick Your Poison An Overview of Toxicology for

Pick Your Poison An Overview of Toxicology for Pesticide Applicators Mike Reed

Separating Fact from Fiction

Winner of the Mike Reed Look A Like Contests

Toxicity of Pesticides Goals of the Program § Understand what toxicity is and how it affects humans § Learn the four routes of entry § Become familiar with how toxicity is measured and what is meant by warning statements § Debunk Lies

The Green Industry is under Attach

My Response to Eco Terrorist

Pesticide Poisoning NY 1998 -2007 Status Female Male Total Definite 104 88 192 Probable 140 110 250 Possible 180 145 325 Suspicious 111 139 250 Unlikely 23 16 39 Insufficient Information Exposed, Not Poisoned Unrelated to pesticides 113 169 282 55 76 131 4 7 11 730 (49%) 750 (51%) 1480

Product Type Insecticide & Fungicide Occupational Yes No 131 341 3 6 Total 472 40. 3% 9 0. 8% Insecticide & Herbicide 0 1 1 0. 1% Insecticide & Other 12 17 29 2. 50% Insect Repellent 5 Insect Growth Regulator 9 20 6 25 15 2. 10% 1. 30% Herbicide Fungicide Herbicide & Fungicide 26 21 1 46 7 0 72 28 1 6. 1% 2. 4% 0. 1% Rodenticide Disinfectants & Sanitizers Fumigant Multiple(nos) Other Unknown Total 1 10 11 37 12 47 1. 0% 4. 0% 2 2 20 79 322 (27%) 0 2 3 34 850 (73%) 2 4 23 433 1172 . 2%. 3% 2. 0% 37. 0% %

TOXICITY: The quality of being poisonous; having harmful effects.

Hazard: The inherent toxicity of a substance, based on appropriate animal models or information from human studies

Routes of Entry: Dermal = Skin exposure Inhalation = Absorbed by lungs Oral = Ingestion by mouth Ocular = Eye exposure

Dermal Exposure § Wet, Dry or Gaseous forms of Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin. § Contamination can occur during transportation, mixing, applying and or storing pesticides

Dermal Exposure § Damaged or open skin can be penetrated by a pesticide more readily § Once absorbed through the skin, pesticides enter the blood stream and are carried throughout the body.

Dermal Exposure Variables Area Rate* forehead forearm abdomen palm scrotum ball of foot 4. 2 1. 0 2. 1 1. 3 11. 8 *Absorption rate compared to forearm, which is 1. 0 mjweaver, 1997

Inhalation Exposure § As dusts, spray mist or fumes pesticides can be drawn into your lungs § The largest particles that are inhaled tend to stay on the surface of the throat and nasal passages § Smaller particles can be inhaled directly into your lungs

Inhalation Exposure § Once in the lungs chemicals are absorbed into the blood stream and distributed to the rest of the body. § The number of particles needed to poison depends upon the chemical concentration.

Oral Exposure Pesticide can enter the body through the mouth by: § Poorly washed hands § Smoking § Eating

Which Route is more Important § Few Chemicals are equally poisonous by all routes of entry. § Dermal is the most likely route of pesticide entry in the Turf and Ornamental Industry

Which Route is more Important § Healthy skin can slow absorption § Liquid Pesticides containing solvents or oil based pesticides are absorbed more quickly compared to dry pesticides

Dose-Time Relationship § Dose = The quantity of a substance that a person is exposed to. § Time = how often that exposure occurs

Kinds of Toxicity Acute Toxicity § How poisonous a pesticide is to a human, animal or plant after a single short-term exposure § The Acute toxicity is the basis for warning statements on the label

Kinds of Toxicity Chronic Toxicity § Is the delayed poisonous effect from exposure to a substance. § Chronic Toxicity is a concern not only to the applicator but also the general public

Toxicity § Organisms can’t differentiate between “natural” and “synthetic” chemicals § “Synthetic” does not mean toxic or poisonous § “Natural” does not mean safe or even low risk § Chemicals must be evaluated in their biological context of behavior in organisms § Mode of action, not source, is the concern of toxicologists and informed users of pesticides

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Taratogenic - effects unborn offspring such as birth defects § Carcinogenic - produces cancer in living animal tissue § Oncogenic - tumor forming not necessarily cancerous

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Mutagenic permanent effects on genetic material that can be inherited § Neurotoxicity - poisoning the nervous system § Immunosupression – Blocking of natural responses of the immune system

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Can You Guess What Substance I am, based upon the following chronic effects?

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Effects on embryo or fetus (extra embryonic structures (e. g. , placenta, umbilical cord)). § Effects on embryo or fetus (fetal death). § Effects on embryo or fetus (fetotoxicity (except death, e. g. , stunted fetus)). § Effects on embryo or fetus (other effects to embryo).

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Effects on fertility (other measures of fertility). § Effects on fertility (pre-implantation mortality (e. g. , reduction in number of implants per female; § total number of implants per corpora lutea)).

Chronic Toxicological Effects § Effects on fertility (post-implantation mortality (e. g. , dead and/or resorbed implants per total § number of implants)). § Effects on newborn (apgar score (human only)). § Effects on newborn (biochemical and metabolic).

Aspirin

LD 50 Value and Toxic Effect The more toxic a material is, the less it takes to kill or produce a harmful effect. . .

Toxicity Measure: LD 50 The LD 50 is the dose of toxin that produces 50% mortality in a test population. LD 50 is usually expressed in milligrams of toxin per kilogram of test animal body weight (mg/kg).

LD 50 Value and Toxic Effect. . . therefore, - the lower the LD 50 value, the more toxic the substance, and - the higher the LD 50 value, the less toxic the substance.

Toxicity Measures and Lethal Dose Pesticides: Oral LD 50 Lethal Dose (mg toxin/kg body weight) (for an ‘average’ adult) 0 -5 a drop or a pinch 5 - 50 a few drops to 1 teaspoon 50 - 500 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon 500 - 5, 000 1 ounce to 1 pint 5, 000 - 15, 000 1 pint to 1 quart > 15, 000 > 1 quart

Toxicity Measures and Signal Word: Acute Oral LD 50 Signal Word 0 - 50 DANGER/POISON N (skull and crossbones) DANGER 50 - 500 WARNING 500 - 5, 000 CAUTION > 5, 000 CAUTION

Oral Toxicity Values for Commonly-Used Insecticides: Pesticide (Product) LD 50 acephate (Orthene) carbaryl (Sevin) chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Lorsban) diazinon (DZN Diazinon) malathion (various) Acute Oral (mg/kg - male rat) 945 850 135 - 163 300 - 400 1, 378 - 2, 800 The Agrochemical Handbook, Royal Society of Chemistry (1991)

Oral Toxicity Values for Botanical-Derivative Insecticides Active Ingredient Acute Oral LD 50 (mg/kg - rat) azadirachtin (neem) nicotine pyrethrum synthetic pyrethroids rotenone ryania 5, 000 50 - 60 584 - 900 22 - 5, 000 39 - 1, 500 1, 200 The Agrochemical Handbook, Royal Society of Chemistry (1991) and Agricultural Chemicals Book I: Insecticides (1994 -95)

Oral Toxicity Values for Commonly-Used Products Pesticide (Product) Acute Oral LD 50 (mg/kg - male rat) Acetapniophen (Tylenol) caffeine (coffee, tea, some sodas) 2, 4 -D (various) dicamba (Banvel, Vanquish) glyphosate (Accord, Round. Up) nicotine (tobacco products) sodium chloride (table salt) triclopyr (Garlon) 338 250 666 - 805 (salt); 700 (ester) 2, 629 - 6, 764 (salts) 4, 320 0. 5 - 1. 0 3, 750 713 The Agrochemical Handbook, Royal Society of Chemistry (1991) Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products (1984)

Toxicity Measures and Lethal Dose Pesticides: Oral LD 50 Lethal Dose (mg toxin/kg body weight) (for an ‘average’ adult) 0 -5 a drop or a pinch 5 - 50 a few drops to 1 teaspoon 50 - 500 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon 500 - 5, 000 1 ounce to 1 pint 5, 000 - 15, 000 1 pint to 1 quart > 15, 000 > 1 quart

Kilograms to Pounds § 1 Kg = 2. 20460 Lbs § Average Male = 165 Lbs § 165 / 2. 20460 = 74. 85 Kg

Killer Coffee? § Caffeine LD 50 – 250 Mg § Starbucks Pikes Place 16 oz Coffee Contains 330 mg of caffeine § 250 mg (LD 50) X 75 kg (165# Man) = 18, 750 mgs to kill 50% of the time § 18, 750 / 330 (caf per ) = 56. 81 Cups

Killer Tylenol? § Tylenol LD 50 338 mg § Tylenol is 500 mgs § 338 (LD 50) x 75 kg (avg body weight) = 25, 350 mgs need to kill 50% of the time § 25, 350 mgs / 500 mgs (tablet) = 50. 7 tablets

Toxicity Information and Clues: § Concentration of Active Ingredient in Product § Restricted Use (reason? ) vs. General Use § PPE Requirements, Re-Entry Interval (REI), and other label Precautions and Instructions § Label Signal Word § MSDS for Product

RISK FACTORS: 1. Toxicity of the Formulated Product. 2. Other Physical and Chemical Characteristics (ex. liquid vs. dry formulation). 3. Amount of Handling Required. 4. Method of Exposure(s) / Route of Entry. 5. Frequency and Duration of Exposure(s).

Special Risk Factors for Children: § lower body weight § greater surface area* § high metabolism § habits § diet

RISK MANAGEMENT: RISK = TOXICITY X EXPOSURE

REDUCE TOXICITY § Reduced Use § Product Selection

REDUCE EXPOSURE § Engineering Controls § Safe Work Habits § PPE Use

Acknowledgements § New York Department of Health § Dr. John Noseworthy – Mayo Clinic § Joanne Kick-Raack – State Pesticide Coordinator – Ohio State Extension

Questions? ? ? ? § § § Mike Reed 973 -459 -1369 mreed@holganix. com