Judy
Mock and Harriet T. Jennings
America's
abundant food supply is dependent upon the use of pesticides
in crop and livestock management. Some of these chemicals
can harm humans, so proper laundering of pesticide-soiled
clothing is important. Sound laundry procedures protect the
pesticide applicator, the person doing the laundry and the
entire family from pesticide residues.
Pesticides
can enter the body in several ways -- through the skin, mouth,
lungs, and eyes. Skin contamination is the number one cause
of pesticide-related illness. To keep pesticides off your
skin you will need special protective gear. Try to limit clothing
worn while handling pesticides to that use only.
Any
time you work with pesticides, you will need at least a long-sleeved
shirt, long pants, gloves, a hat and socks and shoes. In some
cases you will need more protective clothing and equipment.
Always read pesticide labels for information on what to wear.
Pesticides
are classified into three levels of toxicity. The more toxic
a pesticide, the more care should be taken in protecting against
contamination and in laundering clothes. Look for the signal
words in the following table to determine toxicity level.
Signal words are clearly printed on the pesticide label.
Clothing
can keep pesticides away from the skin, however, that same
clothing can become a source of contamination if pesticides
aren't laundered out after each wearing. The following suggestions
for care of pesticide-soiled clothing are based on findings
from many research studies in the United States.
Table
1. Signal Words and Toxicities |
Signal
word |
Toxicity* |
Examples |
Danger
Poison |
Highly
toxic/ concentrated |
Temik
Di-Syston
Parathion**
Furadan
Lannate/Nudrin |
Warning |
Moderately
toxic |
Diazinon
Treflan |
Caution |
Slightly
toxic |
2,4-D
Sevin
Atrazine
Malathion |
*
Toxicity of the pesticide may vary depending upon the
formula. Use the signal word as an indication of the toxicity
level. Note: The pesticide does not have to be concentrated
to be highly toxic;
** Parathion is highly toxic.
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When
storing and laundering pesticide-soiled clothing these precautions
help protect all family members.
- Wear
rubber gloves to handle pesticide-soiled clothing. Carefully
wash the gloves in hot water after each use and store and
use them only for this purpose.
- Have
a separate, covered container for pesticide-soiled clothes.
Never put them with other clothes to be laundered. A Plastic
garbage can works well. Wash the container thoroughly after
the pesticide application season is over, or discard it
appropriately.
- Wash
pesticide-soiled clothes after each use (daily). The longer
the pesticide is in the clothes, the harder it is to remove.
- Wash
Pesticide-soiled clothes separately from family laundry.
Pesticides can be transferred from one garment to another
in the wash water. Be sure you know when pesticides have
been used, and what the pesticide label recommended so that
clothing can be properly laundered.
- Remove
clothes immediately that have become saturated with highly
toxic pesticides and discard them in an appropriate manner
so that others won't be contaminated. Do not try to launder
them.
Pre-rinsing
clothing before washing will help remove pesticide particles
from the fabric. Pre-rinsing can be done by:
- presoaking
in a suitable container before washing;
- pre-rinsing
with agitation in an automatic washing machine;
- spraying/hosing
garment(s) outdoors.
Pre-rinsing
is an especially effective way to remove particles from clothing
when a wettable powder pesticide has been used. Pre-rinse
in a safe area away from food or drinking water.
Commercial
prewash products help remove pesticide residue. Follow the
directions on the product label.
In general,
washing in hot water removes more pesticide from the clothing.
Avoid cold water washing! Although cold water washing might
save energy, research has shown that cold water is relatively
ineffective in removing pesticides from clothing.
Wash
only one or two garments in a single load. Wash garments soiled
by the same pesticides together.
Use
the full water level even though you are washing only one
or two garments at a time. This allows the water to thoroughly
flush the fabric. if your washer has a sudsaver feature, do
not use it for pesticide-soiled clothing.
Use
the normal 12 to 14 minute wash cycle.
Most
laundry detergents are similarly effective in removing pesticides
from fabric if the pesticide isn't oil-based. Research has
shown that heavy duty liquid detergents are more effective
than other detergents in removing oil-based (emulsifiable
concentrate) pesticide formulations. Heavy duty liquid detergents
are known for their oil-removing ability.
Some
research studies show that using 1-1/2 times the recommended
amount of detergent is also helpful in removing pesticide
residues.
If slightly
toxic pesticides were used, the clothing may be effectively
laundered in one machine washing. But if the pesticide was
highly toxic or concentrated, wash the clothing at least several
times. Remember, wear rubber gloves when handling soiled clothing
to prevent pesticide exposure.
Bleach
or ammonia don't remove pesticides from clothing. Never mix
these two products, because they react together to form poisonous
chlorine gas.
Small
amounts of pesticides remain in the washing machine after
the wash cycle is over, so it's important to rinse the washing
machine with an empty load. Use hot water, the same detergent,
and the same machine setting and cycle used for laundering
the soiled clothing and run the machine through an extra cycle.
Line
dry the clothes to keep from contaminating the dryer.
Wash
hard hat, goggles, respirator, gloves and neoprene boots in
hot soapy water after each use. If possible, remove the charcoal
filter to avoid getting it wet. Store the clean articles away
from where pesticides are stored.
- Laundering
Pesticide Contaminated Clothing, University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension Service
- Selection
and Care of Clothing Used for Pesticide Application,
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, TC 417
- Limiting
Pesticide Exposure Through Textile Cleaning Procedures,
North Central Cooperative Series #314
- What
to Do When Clothes Are Soiled With Pesticide, Cooperative
Extension Service, Iowa State University, Pm-1087-2
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
document is from a series of the North Carolina Cooperative
Extension Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
North Carolina. Publication date: April 1991.
Specialist-in-charge,
Human Environment; Extension Clothing Specialist; North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service
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