University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Pesticide Residues in Farm Homes

As part of the Agricultural Health Study, researchers visited 25 farm homes in Iowa in 2001. At some of the farm homes pesticides had recently been applied on crops or animals and at others not, according to a publication. Each home was visited twice in the spring.

Researchers took samples from carpets and wipes from hard surfaces in the kitchen, entranceway, laundry area, living room, children's playroom and children's bedroom. They also took air samples. They tested for six commonly used herbicides: atrazine, metolachlor, glyphosate, 2,4-D, acetochlor, alachlor, and chlorpyrifos.

Acetochlor and alachlor were undetectable in most samples; however, chlorpyrifos, glyphosate and 2,4-D were found in dust samples in most farm and non-farm homes. In addition:

  • Farm homes had higher amounts of pesticide residue in air, dust and hard surface samples as compared to non-farm homes.
  • Pesticides were found more often in dust from carpets than in the air or on hard surfaces.
When looking at how much atrazine was found in each room, researchers found the most in the father's changing area followed by the laundry room and than the entranceway.

Reducing Pesticide Residue in the Home

The report recommends families take the following steps to reduce pesticide exposure in the home:

  • Remove work clothes in an area away from the rest of the house and wash them separately from other laundry.
  • Remove work shoes and boots before going into the house.
  • Vacuum carpets and clean floors regularly.
  • Close all windows and doors in the house during pesticide spraying.
  • Keep children and pets inside when applying pesticides and don't let them play in pesticide-treated areas until the label-specified reentry time has passed.
2007 Fact Sheet
Agricultural Health Study

March 28, 2008

Study Links Ag Chemicals to Health Hazards

An on-going study shows association between some agricultural chemicals and certain cancers, breathing difficulty and vision loss, said a University of Nebraska–Lincoln specialist.

The Agricultural Health Study, which started in 1993 and continues with follow-up investigations, has studied about 90,000 pesticide applicators and their spouses, said Clyde Ogg, extension educator for pesticide safety education. So far, the study has found a 14% higher rate of prostate cancer in male applicators over the general population. The rate of skin melanomas is 50% higher among farm wives than the general population.

Increased breast cancer risk seems to be associated with husbands’ use of 2,4,5-TP, dieldrin and a fungicide called captan. Diazinon was also associated with higher breast cancer risk among wives of those using it, but only in women with a family history of the disease.

Wheezing is associated with the use of eight pesticides and scientists found a consistent association between fungicide use and retinal degeneration, which is characterized by loss of visual acuity and loss of the central field of vision.

Besides personal safety, pesticide applicators should protect their families by carefully following instructions for use of these chemicals. Applicators also need to protect the environment.

“We know these chemicals can harm aquatic invertebrates as well as other wildlife,” he said. “We’re all familiar with the old DDT chemicals and their harm to birds and other animals.”

More recently atrazine has been turning up in rivers, streams, lakes and even groundwater, Ogg said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has implemented a series of regulations to prevent further contamination. These include buffers and set-backs from wells, streams, rivers, and lakes.

“If producers are unable to stop the flow of atrazine in the water, EPA has promised that it will remove that pesticide tool from the market,” Ogg said.

For more information about safe pesticide use, visit UNL’s Pesticide Education Web site. It features information on licensing, personal safety, and protecting the environment.

For detailed instructions on using pesticides producers should pay close attention to each product’s label.

Faith Colburn
Communication Specialist
West Central REC, North Platte

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© 2008 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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