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Mobile View ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD INFORMATION CENTER ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE Health Effects of Air Pollutants Common Indoor Air Pollutants Key Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality Whole House Ventilation Strategies Exhaust-Only Ventilation Supply-Only Ventilation Balanced Ventilation Air Filtering Strategies Particles in Indoor Air - Chart Quick Guide to Gases Air-Cleaner Types Air Filter Effectiveness Real-World Effectiveness of Air Cleaners Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants Radon Hazards Formaldehyde Hazards Biological Pollutants Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs Pesticide Exposure Hazards Lead Exposure Hazards Asbestos Exposure Hazards Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality Combustion Appliance Contaminants Backdrafting Appliances Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold? MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX MOLD BY MICROSCOPE MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD DOCTOR? MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS MOLD FAQ's MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS MOLD LEVEL REPORTS MOLD LEVELS IN BUILDINGS MOLD by MICROSCOPE MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TEST PROCEDURES MOLD TEST REASONS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP STAIN DIAGNOSIS TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES THERMAL TRACKING TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD VENTILATION in BUILDINGS Air Bypass Leaks, Thermal Tracking ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BATHROOM VENTILATION BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION CRAWL SPACE VENTING & Dryout Procedures HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS ROOF VENTING ENERGY SAVING DETAILS ROOF VENTING NEEDED? VENTILATION DESIGN PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS WHOLE HOUSE VENTILATION Strategies VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in Buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WATER ODORS More Information InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
Here we exposure to pesticides indoors and methods to reduce indoor pesticide exposure as a step in improving health and indoor air quality in homes. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Our page top photo shows an abandoned pesticide bottle found during a home inspection. When we find old pesticide containers indoors we caution home buyers that a previous owner may have been applying chemicals without proper expertise. Read the label and use pesticides as directed. See ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. Pesticide Indoor Exposure Hazards & Health EffectsAs stated in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction: Pesticides are a special class of organic chemicals designed to kill living organisms. In addition to the compounds used in the home and garden, the class of chemicals regulated as pesticides also include kitchen and bath disinfectants, flea and tick products, and swimming pool chemicals. In most cases, both the active ingredient targeted to one or more pests and the “inert” carriers are organic chemicals that are toxic to humans. Studies indicate that up to 80% of most people’s exposure to pesticides occurs indoors and that measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside homes. Because of its widespread use for over 30 years, more than 80 percent of Americans already have traces of Dursban in their bodies, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Another study found Dursban in the carpet dust of 67 percent of homes surveyed. Also, remember that a pesticide found “safe” to use today may be determined to be unsafe tomorrow. Chlordane, the most widely use termiticide for decades, was banned in 1988 because of its toxicity to humans and its persistence in the environment. It was largely replaced by Dursban (chlorpyrifos), an organophosphate. Dursban became the most widely used pesticide in the United States until it was phased out starting in 2000, along with the popular pesticide diazinon, because of the risks they posed to humans, especially to the growth and nervous system development of children. Health Effects of Exposure to PesticidesThere are nearly 900 pesticides registered for use in the United States. Nearly all are at least moderately toxic to humans and pets and many are highly toxic. Symptoms of overexposure to pesticides include irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, loss of coordination, muscular weakness, and damage to the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys. Every registered pesticide has a “signal” word on the label, ranking the level of toxicity to humans, as follows:
Some of the more problematic pesticides used in and around households include:
How to Reduce Indoor Exposure to PesticidesWhen possible, the best approach is to find nonchemical approaches to pests. When chemicals must be used, choose the least toxic option, and use it outdoors, if possible, and away from areas used by pets and children who will track it back into the house.
-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. ... Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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10/01/2009 - 04/27/2009 - InspectAPedia.com/BestPractices/Pesticide_Exposure.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark