Safety for Consumers

Remember:  Always read and follow the EPA approved pesticide label.
 

Pesticide safety is a matter of public concern.  All pesticides are poisons.  Pesticides should only be used to control a known pest and only when other, less toxic options have been tried and failed.  Pesticides should always be part of an integrated pest management system.

Consumers should be aware that  the federal Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 gave EPA categorical authority to exclude pest control products which may include any of 63 naturally occurring substances as exempt for EPA regulations.  These products, often marketed as poison free are untested as to their hazard to human health, the environment and non target organisms, or on their ability to control pests.

EPA fact sheets on pesticide safety are available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/pest_ti.htm

EPA fact sheet on using pesticides safely available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/safely.htm

New information from the National Pesticide Information Center!

Common Pesticide Question:
Dirty Work Clothes: How Should I Wash Out Pesticides?

http://npic.orst.edu/capro/DirtyClothes.pdf

To browse the whole collection of Fact Sheets, visit this site:
http://npic.orst.edu/npicfact.htm

Signal Words Topic Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center  

www.npic.orst.edu/factsheets/signalwords.pdf