Occupational Workers Understanding of Pesticide Labels and Safety Practices in Egypt

Abstract

Pesticide labels are the principal contact between the manufacturer and the end-user of the product as they convey essential use recommendations and safety information. So, this study aimed to assess the understanding level of pesticide labels, their field application practices, and observance of safety procedures among farmers, pesticide retailers, and applicators at Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The data revealed that, the majority of participantshad limited formal education(44.7%),illiterate (15.3%) or did not receive anytraining or technical backingin the safety of pesticides.Insecticides were the highest used (44.8%) followed by herbicides (27.6%) and fungicides (13.8%).Moderately hazardous compounds were the most frequently in the study area and Chlorpyrifos was the highest used compound by subjects (85%) followed by Lambda-cyhalothrin (71%) then glyphosate (herbicide) (64%).When participants bought pesticides, their choice was mostly based on their experience, the type of pests, effectiveness, recommendations taken from other people, and inexpensiveness.Data indicated also that, pesticide retailers had a crucial role in the spreading of pesticideinformationamong end-users.Our results revealed that, there is a strong correlation between workers’ education level and awareness about safety precautions and understanding the instructions of pesticide labels. The awareness of occupational workers and authorities needs to be increased regarding the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and correct storage procedures, handling, disposing of pesticidesandempty containers.