I use weed killer on a regular basis, and I also spill it on my hands on a regular basis. I usually just leave it there to evaporate off, but should I wash it off? Obviously one exposure is not harmful but what about on a regular basis?
Next time I’m at Home Depot, I’ll check the back of the bottle, I don’t have the one I bought.
Many VOCs (volatile organic compounds) can be absorbed directly through the skin. You should be not only washing your hands after you are done but wearing gloves so you don’t get herbicides on them in the first place.
Absolutely. Absorption through the skin is a common mode of poisoning with, for example, organophosphates. In fact, it’s probably the most common clinically significant exposure, though it’s a bit hard to say, since people do some pretty foolish things, and for every person who ends up in the ER there are dozens with lesser exposures, who may not even realize they’re ill, much less what made them ill.
Off the top oif my head, diazanone [the weedkiller Roundup, IIRC] malathione [a common insecticide] used to be very common skin-absorbed toxic exposures. I don’t know where, exactly, they rank on the risk list today, but I’ve always felt that the warnings -which are admittedly everywhere on the can- are nonetheless woefully understated. This stuff can kill you, cause mid- to long-term mental and neurological effects, and a whole laundry list of other less-common effects.
I had a friend nearly die -indirectly- from organophosphate poisoning a few years a go. He’d been a fully certified physician and practiced in his own country before he came here, and as an older than average resident, he’d taken up gardening to take the edge off the stress off his residency. Even though he knew the symptoms well, and had treated such exposures, he didn’t notice them in himself… until he hit a guardrail. Even then it might not have been caught, if someone in the ER hadn’t to notice a scent and done the blood test…
I suspect there are a lot more cases like that than know. Organophosphate blood tests aren’t part of our standard workup and they aren’t the only class of herbicide or pesticide that can cause problems. They’re just the classic example.
He’d felt a little foggy and forgetful at work for weeks, but he’d assumed it was stress. (and being at less than his peak led to more stressful incidents, in that cruel cycle most of us know too well). It was almost fortunate that things worked out the way they did. Though his car was totalled, he was only modestly injured. I can think of many ways the outcome could have been much more tragic for himself or others.
In fact, it’s probably the most common clinically significant *** route of (insecticide and herbicide)*** exposure.
Preview was my friend, until his girl left him for me.
You’ll find that particular chemical is relatively non-toxic. It is an organophosphate called “Glyphosate, isopropylamine salt.”
I’m not a toxicoligist and don’t play one on these boards, so I can’t tell you about the other herbicide that are out there. Look on the label, find out what it is, then check the MSDS for yourself (or ask the company for one). For reference compare it to the MSDS of salt, rust, phosphine, and benzene.
For what its’ worth Diazanone is not a herbicide but an insecticide. I believe its use is now restricted or may be banned altogether. From here: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon/summary.htm
Incidents:
Diazinon is one of the leading causes of acute insecticide poisoning for humans and wildlife. For humans, the rate of incidents is not high relative to its large volume of usage. The majority of incidents occur in the home. It also is one of the top causes of bird kill incidents.
I think I can make the generalization that insecticides are typically more nasty than herbicides.
Nitrile gloves (not latex), available at Harbor Freight, are a good way to protect your hands.
Just a mention that “relatively non-toxic” is a relative term ;).
Years ago there was a lawn and garden product that was thought to be safe until a retrospective study showed a higher than average incidence of lymphoma in lawn care workers who had exposure to the chemical.
Along with “toxicity” I would be concerned for “carcinogenicity”. A slight increased incidence of a rare cancer can be difficult to recognize.
Well yeah, I agree. That’s why I suggest comparing the MSDS of the chemical in question to salt and rust. I don’t have them handy here, but I think Roundup is RELATIVELY LESS toxic than those two chemicals.
Why not latex?
I occasionally (once a year or so) use a squirt bottle of round up to get rid of stuff growing in the cracks on my driveway. I usually wear latex gloves, mostly because I’ve got boxes and boxes of them. Are the latex gloves not doing any good?
A couple of things to remember here.
First, the “active ingredient” in a weed killer consitutes only a small part of what’s in the bottle (usually something like 3% or less). The other 97% is mostly water but also includes:
Surfactants that help the droplet break up and actually stick to the weed, not just roll off. Many surfactants are chemically similar to soap. Sometimes they can cause skin irritations.
Fertilizers or plant foods mixed in with the weed killer. They could be in there to help non-susceptible neighbor plants, or to help give the weeds a growth spurt that causes them to absorb the weed killer more readily. They too can irritate.
Solvents, often petroleum-based, to keep all the ingredients from turning into – as a weed scientist I knew once described it – cottage cheese. Many petroleum-based products, in addition to irritating the skin, can definitely be absorbed. Look at the warning labels for gasoline and benzene, for example. (That’s also why latex gloves aren’t the best idea – petroleum and latex are natural enemies.)
In other words, even if you got a dummy sample of weed killer that didn’t have actual weed killer in it, it would still be a good idea to wear gloves, eye protection and for gosh sakes, try not to breathe any fumes.
Because, at least in my experience, the latex gloves are torn to shreds in minutes, while the nitrile gloves are able to put up with quite a bit of abuse.