Pesticide Labels
Pesticides are developed, manufactured and sold with the premise that they are to be used for a certain purpose. Applicators must read, understand, and follow the instructions that are found on the product label. The label is designed to provide information on achieving the maximum product benefit while minimizing risks to human health and the environment. The label is a binding contract which requires the person using the product to do so, exactly as directed according to the law. The information contained on the label is a result of quite a bit of scientific investigation and details how to use the product so that you stay within regulations when applying the product.[11] The EPA may classify a pesticide as "restricted-use" if it poses a special threat to human health or environmental quality. Restricted use pesticides may be purchased and applied only by a "certified applicator," trained and licensed under EPA guidelines.[12]
Students need to become familiar with the pesticide label contents in order to select the most appropriate pesticide products and receive maximum effectiveness when using them. When you have students fold out the labels from a container of pesticide it looks rather intimidating to them. It is not all that complicated; there are really only four main parts: safety information, environmental information, product information, and use information. The best way to go over the chemicals is to have them actually use a pesticide label and fill out some sort of product profile worksheet. I have one I developed at the end of my unit under lessons which you can recreate for your students.
The safety information is the section that must be prominent on the front of the container, especially the signal word. The signal word indicates the product's potential toxicity to humans. There are three signal words, in decreasing order of toxicity, Danger (highly toxic, a few drops to one tsp will kill an average person), Warning (moderately toxic, one tsp to one oz is lethal), and Caution (slightly toxic, lethal dose is over one oz). This signal word is assigned after testing all exposure routes of the chemical, ingestion, inhalation, and the dermal absorption; the route of exposure that shows the highest toxicity potential determines the signal word assigned to the product's label.
Hazards to humans and domestic animals are also included in the safety information section indicating specific hazards, routes of exposure, and precautions to take in order to avoid injury. There is also a personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing statement that aids the applicator in reducing their exposure to the chemical. The minimum PPE requirements for all pesticides are a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and waterproof footwear. Specific instructions are included when there is a need for chemical resistant gloves, aprons, goggles, and boots, etc. There is also a statement of practical treatment, i.e. first aid, which provides information to help if the applicator is exposed to the product. This also informs physicians and emergency responders of the appropriate medical procedures to help someone who has been poisoned by the product.
The environmental hazard section of the label is one that I feel is not really a priority for most applicators. This section should be a big determinant in where and when certain pesticides are applied, not just due to cost and the pesticide's effectiveness in killing the pest. The potential for the chemical to harm nontarget organisms is determined by a series of tests which evaluate a pesticide's toxicity to wildlife such as mammals, fish, birds, aquatic invertebrates, and pollinating insects. Statements on the potential environmental impact are also included in this section. The label will tell you how to reduce the impact on the environment if it has been shown to contaminate water, etc.
The product information section tells what the brand name is of the chemical, it also tells by whom and where the pesticide was produced, the EPA registration number, and the establishment number of the production facility it was synthesized in. The ingredient information is also included which identifies the name and percentage of the pesticide product that affects the target pest. Some of these are very complex, and, therefore, there is also a list of EPA approved common names. I was able to find a few great websites that you could use with the students to find out more about these chemicals.[13] This will help them better understand the complexity of the chemicals that they are using.
The use information section is critical to applying the chemical in a safe manner. This is usually the bulk of the label and provides guidance on the pests that can be controlled with the product, site that is registered to be used on, compatibility of the pesticide with other pesticides, mixing and dilution rates, application rates, equipment that maximizes the effectiveness of the pesticide, timing and frequency of applications, and general information you need to follow in order to have effective results with the product. There is always a re-entry or restricted entry statement to let you know how long you must wait before you may enter the area treated without personal protective equipment.
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