Treatment for Pesticide Poisoning 259
When pesticides are breathed in
When pesticides are released into the
air, we breathe them in through
our nose and mouth. Once in
the lungs, the pesticides quickly
enter the blood and spread
poison through the whole body.
Because some pesticides
have no smell, it is often hard
to know if they are in the air. The most common forms of air-borne pesticides
are fumigants, aerosols, foggers, smoke bombs, pest strips, sprays, and residues
from spraying. You can also inhale pesticide dust in a storage area, when it
is being used in an enclosed area, such as a greenhouse, or when it is being
transported to the fields.
Pesticide dust in the air can travel miles to
pollute an area far from where it was used. It is
easy for pesticide dust to get into houses.
If you think you have breathed in pesticides,
get away from the pesticides right away! Do not
wait until you feel worse.
Treatment
If you or someone else breathes in pesticides:
• Get the person away from the area where
she breathed in the poison, especially if it
is an enclosed area.
• Get fresh air.
• Loosen clothing to make breathing easier.
• Sit with head and shoulders raised.
If you have doubt, get out!
• If the person is unconscious, lay her on her side and watch her to make
sure there is nothing blocking her breathing.
• If the person is not breathing, quickly do mouth-to-mouth breathing
(see page 557).
Seek medical help. Take the pesticide label or name of the pesticide with you.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012