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Pesticide Information for Health Care Providers
Report a
pesticide
illness
Identify
a
pesticide
Clinical management of pesticide-related
illnesses
Referrals for
intervention/prevention
Online resources for health care providers,
ag workers, and the public
Report
a pesticide illness
Pesticide-related illness is a
Notifiable Condition in Washington.
Learn
more.
How do
I report a suspected case?
Report all cases of suspected or confirmed
pesticide related illness to:
-
Washington Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222,
or
-
Washington State Department of Health,
Pesticide Program: 1-877-485-7316
(M-F, 8-5)
Report hospitalizations and deaths immediately, and all other
suspected pesticide-related cases within 3 days (RCW 70.104.055 and
WAC
246-100).
What happens when I report a case?
We receive reports of pesticide-related illness from doctors' offices, the poison center, local health
departments, other state agencies, and
individuals.
Each year we follow up on several hundred
reports. We try to identify the products involved, how the person
was exposed, what symptoms developed, and how the illness could have
been prevented. This is done both by phone and in person. If
medical care was sought, we review the treatment records.
Every year we analyze investigation data and
report the results in a report to the legislature.
We use the data collected from our case
investigations to guide outreach strategies for the prevention of
pesticide illness. This includes education of the general public
at community health fairs, safety talks in training courses for licensed
pesticide applicators, and in-service presentations at hospitals and
clinics.
Our staff have degrees and training in nursing, environmental health,
and toxicology. Our staff bring to their work the collective experience of over 4000 pesticide
case investigations. We are a resource for local health staff and
health care providers. We field questions from the general public
about health effects from pesticide exposures.
Why should I report a pesticide-related illness?
-
Reporting is required under Washington state law.
-
Reporting enhances prevention of pesticide
related illnesses.
It helps DOH identify problem pesticides, problem pesticide labels,
and application methods that result in hazardous exposures. Regulatory agencies can use this information to correct problems.
-
Reporting ensures that pesticide-related illnesses
are recorded, even for patients who are reluctant to complain to
enforcement authorities. Because the role of DOH is to promote public health
rather than to enforce regulations, our investigators can collect important prevention
information without the patient having to make a formal complaint
against an employer, neighbor, or building manager.
-
We can make a difference in your
patient’s life. Our investigators can offer resources to help your
patient learn about the safe use of pesticides and prevent recurrence
of pesticide-related illness.
Who should I contact
for questions about reporting?
Call DOH Pesticide Program with your reports or questions, 1-888-586-9427 or
1-360-236-3360. Pesticide Program staff
contacts.
Back to Top
Identify
a pesticide
The pesticide label and the Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are important sources of information
-
To treat a patient, you need to know the ingredients in the
pesticide product. The
product label lists the active ingredients in the pesticide product.
-
Other product ingredients, considered hazardous to health by
the EPA, are listed on the product MSDS. Providers who need complete information on all ingredients (e.g. for an
allergy case) can obtain the MSDS by calling the company that sells the product.
-
The label also lists directions for use and requirements for personal protective gear. This can be helpful in
educating your patient about how to handle the product safely in the
future.
How to get the label/MSDS
-
For agricultural pesticides, if you have the product name, you can usually locate
the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and labels at:
Crop Data Management Systems (CDMS) - for most agricultural and
professional pesticides.
-
Or, you can get the product's active
ingredients and a copy of the label from
National
Pesticide Information Retrieval System (NPIRS).
-
Call the WA Poison Center 1-800-222-1222.
They will not provide a label, but they do have a database that contains
most pesticide product names and product ingredients. They also can help
with treatment advice.
-
Other resources for toxicity information on
pesticide active ingredients include:
NPIC
- National Pesticide
Information Center
EXTOXNET
- Extension
Toxicology Network
NLM
- National Library of Medicine
Back to the Top
Clinical
management of pesticide-related illnesses
Online resources:
-
Cholinesterase Monitoring in Washington--Overview
-
Cholinesterase Monitoring in Washington--Providers
-
Cholinesterase Monitoring in Washington--Provider Guidelines
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Pesticides and Human Health: A resource for Health care
Professionals - Pesticides and Human Health, by Physicians for
Social Responsibility, contains information on pesticide links to
acute and chronic human health effects. The report includes
chapters on cancer, respiratory disease, neurological and
behavioral effects of pesticides, reproductive and developmental
effects of pesticides, the effects of pesticides on the immune
system and acute effects of pesticide exposure. Pesticides and
Human Health is written in a doctor-to-doctor manner and
references over 150 scientific studies.
-
Symptoms and First Aid for Poisonings
-
National Library
of Medicine (NLM) - Pesticide information from the National
Institutes of Health - Medline Plus
-
Information on Pesticides from NLM
- Extensive information and links on pesticide regulation,
occupational exposure, pesticides in food, and much more.
Includes information in Spanish.
-
Search NLM / PubMed for recent research articles on
pesticides
Health care providers and public health
professionals who are seeking information about the clinical
toxicology of pesticides, or are investigating a suspected
exposure incident, can contact the NPMMP at
npmmp@oregonstate.edu, or via fax at (541) 737-9047.
For a full list of online resources for
providers, agricultural workers, and the public, please go to
Online
Resources for Providers, Agricultural Workers, and the General
Public.
Consultations for clinicians:
-
WA Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222
-
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC): 1-800-858-7378
-
Daniel L. Sudakin, MD, MPH, PhD, Medical Toxicologist at OSU,
Corvallis, OR. Dr. Sudakin participates in a cooperative agreement with
EPA to provide medical consultation to health care providers on pesticide
cases. Contact Dr. Sudakin at
npmmp@oregonstate.edu, or via fax at (541) 737-9047.
-
University of Washington NW Pediatric Environmental Health
Specialty,
http://depts.washington.edu/pehsu/. Free consultation line for health care providers in WA, OR, ID and
AK. 1-877-543-2436
-
Other resources for toxicity information on
pesticide active ingredients include:
NPIC
- National Pesticide
Information Center
EXTOXNET
- Extension
Toxicology Network
NLM
- National Library of Medicine
Analytical Laboratories for pesticides in blood and urine:
-
Pacific Toxicology Laboratories
(Los Angeles) 1-800-328-6942
-
National Medical Services
(Pennsylvania) 1-800-522-6671
Back to the Top
Referrals for intervention
and prevention
|
To report workplace safety concerns
č |
Washington Department of Labor and
Industries (L&I)
Health and Safety Hotline:
1-800-423-7233
L&I enforces Washington Occupational Safety and Health rules and
the Worker Protections Standard (WPS) for agricultural workers. |
To
report:
-
the
misuse of pesticides
-
pesticide drift
-
other
unsafe pesticide practices
č |
Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
1-877-301-4555
WSDA enforces state and federal
pesticide laws and investigates complaints of pesticide misuse. |
To:
-
Report a
pesticide-related illness
-
Request additional
information or training on the recognition and management of
pesticide illness
-
Request further
information about pesticide illness prevention programs
č |
Washington State
Department of Health (DOH) Pesticide Program
1-877-485-7316
1-360-236-3360 (Olympia )
1-509-575-2056 (Yakima)
1-509-575-2064 (Yakima)DOH conducts public health surveillance of
pesticide illnesses and provides prevention education. |
Back to
the Top
For more information about the Pesticides Program, please contact
Cynthia López
or 360-236-3340.
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