Health effects of exposure to pesticides in buildings
Exposure to common pesticides used indoors including Dursban and Lorsban
Are mothballs an indoor air quality or health concern?
Suggestions for reducing indoor exposure to pesticides
InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. our contact info is at
InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.
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
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 Pesticides
There 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:
Danger—Poison: highly poisonous
Danger: poisonous or corrosive
Warning: moderately hazardous
Caution: least hazardous
Some of the more problematic pesticides used in and
around households include:
Organophosphates and carbonates.
These two
classes of chemicals, including Dursban and Lorsban,
kill insects by disrupting their nervous systems. Studies
indicate that they affect the birth weight and neural
development of infants. From 1993 to 1996, nearly
63,000 reports were made to U.S. poison control centers
about residential exposures to organophosphates,
according to the U.S. EPA. Almost 25,000 of these
incidents involved children under 6, who are particularly
vulnerable to organophosphate poisoning and at
least 482 resulted in hospitalization.
Mothballs - human exposure hazards: Mothballs contain either of the chemicals
paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene. Paradichlorobenzene
is classified as a possible human carcinogen by
the EPA, and its vapors can irritate skin, eyes, and the
respiratory tract. Large doses can damage the liver.
Exposure to naphthalene promotes hemolytic anemia,
associated with fatigue in mild cases and acute kidney
failure in severe cases. Poisonings of infants have
been reported after dressing the children in clothing
stored in naphthalene mothballs.
How to Reduce Indoor Exposure to Pesticides
When 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.
Use insect-resistant construction materials and
techniques. The use of termiticides can be reduced or
eliminated by careful detailing of entry points, and by
using alternative building materials, such as steel,
masonry, concrete, insulating concrete forms (ICFs),
or treated lumber. Borate-treated lumber is nontoxic
to humans and very effective against termites and
carpenter ants as long as it is not exposed to regular
wetting.
Use nonchemical methods of pest and weed control.
Since outdoor pesticides and herbicides invariably end
up indoors on carpets and in the air, it is prudent to
reduce the use of chemicals indoors and out. Options
include integrated pest management, biological
pesticides, and planting disease-resistant plants.
•
If using chemicals, choose the least toxic. Look for
products with the signal word “warning” or “caution”
rather than “danger.” Baits and traps are better than
sprays or “bug bombs.”
Read the label and closely follow instructions. If you
must handle pesticides, wear gloves and long sleeves
and avoid breathing the vapors. Always keep these
chemicals away from children. Carefully follow
directions with regard to concentration, protective
gear, and restricting access to treated areas. Always
ventilate the area well after use, and mix or dilute
chemicals outdoors if possible.
Dispose of unwanted pesticides safely. Most of these
chemicals contain VOCs that will vaporize and get
into the household air. If you cannot dispose of partially
used containers, store outside the living space.
Minimize exposure to moth repellants. When used,
place in a well-sealed trunk or other container that
can be stored in ventilated areas outside of the main
living space, such as attics or attached garages.
Paradichlorobenzene is also the active ingredient in
many air fresheners and should be avoided.
Pesticides in drinking water - pesticide contamination of drinking water wells - see Pesticides Contamination for water testing advice.
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
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.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Mobile View
