Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- October 30, 2007

Some hazardous substances can hide in plain sight in your home (:45)

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Suggested Intro:

PARENTS ALREADY KNOW TO KEEP HOUSEHOLD POISONS AND DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AWAY FROM SMALL CHILDREN. BUT A PESTICIDE EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS YOU COULD HAVE TOXIC CHEMICALS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IN YOUR HOME. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:

Story:

(:17) THE TERM "PESTICIDE" GENERALLY CALLS UP IMAGES OF POWERFUL CHEMICALS TO BE USED ON FIELD CROPS. BUT PENN STATE PESTICIDE EDUCATOR RICK JOHNSON REMINDS US THAT PRODUCTS THAT CONTROL PESTS CAN BE FOUND IN A VARIETY OF DAILY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT MUST BE HANDLED WITH CARE, ESPECIALLY AROUND SMALL CHILDREN:

Johnson Actuality:

(:16) "SOMETHING LIKE CLOROX DISINFECTING WIPES, AND THAT'S USED TO CONTROL GERMS, WHICH IS A PEST, SO IT'S A PESTICIDE. CLOROX ITSELF IS A PESTICIDE - IT MAKES A CLAIM TO KILL GERMS. AND WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID - THERE ARE TYPES OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID THAT UP TO A SINGLE TABLESPOON OF THAT COULD END UP KILLING YOU."

(:14) JOHNSON SAYS ANY PRODUCT WITH THE SIGNAL WORDS "CAUTION," "WARNING," "DANGER" OR "DANGER-POISON" ON ITS LABEL SHOULD BE STORED AWAY FROM CHILDREN - EITHER UP OUT OF REACH OR UNDER LOCK AND KEY. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

AGRICHEMICAL FACT SHEET #3: "Safe Use of Pesticides Around the Home" (College of Agricultural Sciences publication in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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