Responding to Pesticide Poisoning Symptoms

If you are having symptoms but are unsure if they are pesticide-related, at least notify someone in case your symptoms become worse. At this time, call the National Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance on the proper response to your symptoms. This number will direct your call to the nearest poison center, which is staffed on a 24-hour basis.

Have the pesticide label available when calling. At a minimum, write down or capture an image of the product name and EPA registration number, plus active ingredients. The product label provides medical personnel with information such as active ingredients, an antidote, and an emergency contact number for the manufacturer of the product. If you must go to the hospital or doctor's office, take the label or at least the label information with you.

If the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is available, also take it with you because it frequently contains additional information for medical personnel. In addition to posting emergency numbers or having them readily available by telephone, keep these numbers in all service vehicles involved in transporting pesticides. Additional pesticide information can also be obtained by contacting the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) located at Oregon State University at 1-800-858-7378. The NPIC provides a variety of unbiased information about pesticides to anyone in the United States.