Saturday, June 22, 2019

Crucial public health info on pesticide mepiquat chloride


A few days ago I received a tweet from a farming company that was promoting a "product" it said. So,

I researched it. The code name that farmers are told conceals the chemical mepiquat chloride, a pesticide used in growing cotton, grapes, almonds & wheat. One of my sources for this info is :

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC39832

which includes this info:

NOTE! There may be other diseases and chemicals that have similar symptoms.

If you have a poisoning emergency in the United States call 1-800-222-1222.
If the victim has collapsed or is unconscious, call 911.

The trade names mepiquat chloride,and mepiquat pentaborate have a chemical name of
2,4-D, a Chlorophenoxy compound.

There are many known risks to that chemical used as pesticide.

Poisoning
Symptoms of Poisoning with Chlorophenoxy Compounds

- Irritation of skin, eyes and respiratory tract.
- Inhalation may cause burning sensation in nasopharynx and chest, coughing, and/or dizziness.
- Headache, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Confusion, bizarre or aggressive behavior.
- Kidney failure, increased heart rate.
- Metabolic acidosis resulting in peculiar odor on breath.
Source for Group Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 9.

The exact same info for mepiquat pentaborate w/ first aid info:

Source for Group Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 9.
Treatment for Chlorophenoxy Poisoning
See: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 9, page 96.

Symptoms of 2,4-D Exposure from the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC)

NOTE! PREVENT DISPERSION OF DUST! STRICT HYGIENE! AVOID EXPOSURE OF (PREGNANT) WOMEN!
Route of Exposure
Symptoms
First Aid
1. Inhalation
Headache. Nausea. Weakness.
Fresh air rest. Refer for medical attention.
2. Skin Redness.
Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and then wash skin with water and soap.
3. Eyes
Redness.
First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor.
4. Ingestion
Abdominal pain. Burning sensation. Diarrhoea. Headache. Nausea. Unconsciousness. Vomiting. Weakness.
Rinse mouth. Give a slurry of activated charcoal in water to drink. Refer for medical attention.
Notes for ICSC Information:
24-D is a chlorophenoxy-herbicide which as a group has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Depending on the degree of exposure periodic medical examination is indicated. Carrier solvents used in commercial formulations may change physical and toxicological properties.

I also tweeted this information from my newest twitter @GloriaP49210854 today to farmers, farming industry , Food & Drug Administration [FDA] , the University of Georgia which heavily promotes and teaches agriculture and Missouri State university for the same reason. I am posting it here as a public service message since I have not yet discovered if it becomes ingrained in the almonds, wheat and cotton and therefore all consumers of those products are affected, or only the farmers and aerial applicator pilots are exposed to it.

Today is 22nd June 2019 at 8:30am.

Gloria Poole, Registered Nurse, artist of Springfield, Missouri.