Where It Comes From
Manufactured pesticide applied in agriculture and landscaping; drift and runoff can spread it near treated areas [1][3].
How You Are Exposed
Mixing/applying products; reentering treated fields; residues on food or household dust; air or water near applications [2][5].
Why It Matters
Symptoms include headache, nausea, sweating, pinpoint pupils, muscle twitching, and wheezing; severe cases can cause breathing trouble or seizures. Effects from carbamates are usually reversible after exposure stops [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Pesticide handlers and farmworkers; children; pregnant people; those with asthma or low cholinesterase; people taking cholinesterase‑inhibiting medicines [2][4].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Follow labels and wear PPE; keep kids/pets away; respect restricted‑entry intervals; ventilate; wash hands and work clothes; wash/peel produce; use integrated pest management; store locked; workers consider cholinesterase monitoring [2][4][5].
References
- [1]ATSDR. ToxFAQs for Carbaryl. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
- [2]EPA. Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, 6th ed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- [3]WHO. The WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard. World Health Organization.
- [4]CDC/NIOSH. Cholinesterase Monitoring for Workers Using Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticides. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- [5]EPA. Pesticides and Food: What You Can Do. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.