What to do if you've been exposed to pesticides.

[SilentEchoes]

epa.gov/pesticide-worker-sa...

I wasn't prepared for my own crisis from pesticide poisoning. I hope my lived experience will help others have a better outcome than mine.

1. Seek medical attention, even if it seems minor.

2. Contact Poison Control for instructions. It's very important to not skip this step. It's a national database and poisoning is underreported.

3. Mild symptoms does not mean you weren't affected. Headache, chemical taste in your mouth, sore throat or lungs. Coughing, dizziness, watery eyes, runny nose, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, trouble breathing, loss of balance, loss of consciousness are medical emergencies.

4. Remove contaminated clothing, place in a heavy black plastic trash bag, seal it well and place it in the freezer to preserve the evidence.

5. Immediately wash your self to decontaminate and avoid exposing others and contaminating your home.

Do not take this lightly, there is often a latency period between when you were exposed and when you develop symptoms of neurological injury.

If you are within 1/4 mile of a commercial pesticide application - it constitutes a pesticide exposure.

HOW TO FIGHT BACK

Start gathering documentation.

1. Get photos of every chemical application and name of the company.

2. Are they a contractor for someone such as a HOA, business or farmer; or are they "agents" of the homeowners?

In Minnesota, landowners are liable for the actions of their agents - people they hire to perform a service.

3. Find out who regulates pesticides in your state. In Minnesota you have to file a Pesticide Misuse Complaint in writing to begin an investigation, this is done online.

4. Report every incident of misuse. You can usually smell the chemicals, but not always. They will tell you that just because you smell an odor doesn't mean you were harmed. That is a patently false statement.

It's the nose to brain pathway, a headache signals nervous system involvement even if you don't smell anything.

Pesticides can be orderless, colorless and tasteless (Paraquat in particular) and are very dangerous.

IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEFERAL LAW TO USE PESTICIDES IN A MANNER WHERE THEY MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE.

Bystander poisoning is a huge problem and failure of the regulatory system.

The regulatory focus has historically been on farmworker protection, but if you live in or travel through commercial agricultural areas you are at risk of bystander poisoning.

1. Chemical application should never occur during a temperature inversion which doesn't allow the chemicals to dissipate into the atmosphere. They then concentrate at ground level and move like fog.

2. Chemical application should never happen in windy conditions. No matter how many precautions are taken, pesticides never stay where you put them - they always drift.

3. Sometimes you can see the chemicals drifting, they form a cloud.

4. Look for plant damage. The type of damage will tell you what class of chemicals were misused.

5. If you're in a humid climate, expect that fungicide and termite products are in use.

6. There's a thing called "take home pesticides" which is secondary exposure from tracking them in on your shoes or clothing.

7 . You can't prevent pesticides from entering your home. Glyphosate strongly adsorbs to soil particles and is blown around in dust.

LIMIT ONGOING EXPOSURE

There are ways to reduce exposure.

1.Noseeum netting helps, you can use it as a porch screen or curtains inside your home.

2. Seal up air leaks and cracks and crevasses where insects and rodents could get in.

3. Add a carbon prefilter to your ERV/HRV, and use a premium filter on your HVAC air handler.

4. Your IAQ needs to be optimized. I think Air Doctors are good, I use Austin Air.

5. Don't forget about your water. Whole house filtration plus RO at the sink, you need a UV sterilizer and a remineralization cartridge.

DON'T LET ANYONE BULLSHIT YOU

Those mosquito treatments are a hazard and the practice should be banned.

Spraying parks and playgrounds, football, soccer and baseball fields, school grounds and golf courses with neurotoxins should be banned.

I've concluded that there are few truly safe places to live. We need to reduce risk. Even that can't be completely controlled.

We need to adopt a prophylactic protocol. I'm working on this for my own family.

For those who have already developed a neurodegenerative illness, ongoing environmental exposure to toxic substances is compounded and you will never get well until you lessen your exposure and your toxic load (body burden) with detox.

Eliminate chemical use inside your home. This includes cleaning products, air fresheners, dishwasher rinse aids, detergents and surfactants, personal care products and so on.

I understand that this is overwhelming for a lot of people, take baby steps. For the others who think I'm insane - you aren't my audience or my tribe. Your naivete is toxic too.

SE 🕊️