Reduced Pesticide Exposure

In today’s modern agriculture, chemical pesticide usage has become a way of life.  As the world population continues to increase pesticides have allowed producers to grow more food on fewer acres of land.  This helps to provide the ever growing demand for food in a globally shrinking agriculture world.  As the demand for efficient food production increases so will the need for chemical pesticide control.  It is imperative that pesticide workers and handlers are trained and competent in the use and handling of chemical pesticides. 

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers of the over 1 million poison exposures of adults 20 plus years old 3.5 percent were related to a pesticide exposure.  The CDC states that in the United States, about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticide active ingredient are used each year and over 20,000 pesticide products are on the market. In 2012, pesticides were the tenth leading cause of poisoning exposure reported to poison control centers in the United States.

In an effort to reduce these numbers, the Christian County Cooperative Extension service has committed to certifying and educating producers about pesticide use and safety.  In 2019 on the first Thursday of each month the extension office host a private applicator pesticide training session.  In a five month period from January to May 115 private applicators had been certified for use of general and restricted use pesticides.Along with the private applicator courses additional training was provided for the use of Dicamba products.The Dicamba trainings certified an additional 350 producers for the handling and use of approved Dicamba products.

The CDC documents that in 2011, 2.94-3.88 acute work related poisonings occurred for every 100,000 persons employed in the pesticide industry in Kentucky.  By 2013 that number had dropped to 1.86-2.45 exposures. It is hopeful that this trend of reduced pesticide exposure will continue with a strong educational program administered by the University and its extension program.