1. How to Safely Use and Handle
Paraquat-Containing Products
Why It Matters
1
2. Paraquat products are highly toxic when ingested and should
never be placed into beverage or food containers. It is illegal
to do so.
Paraquat Dangers:
Accidental ingestion of
paraquat has led to death.
ONE SIP CAN KILL! One small
sip can be fatal.
2
3. Paraquat is highly toxic when ingested.
3
To help prevent potential paraquat poisoning, the
paraquat marketed in the United States contains:
a dye to keep it from being confused with some
beverages such as coffee and
a sharp odor to serve as a warning.
4. People who accidentally drink paraquat products
are unlikely to survive.
If a person does survive the toxic effects of
paraquat poisoning, long-term lung damage
(scarring) is highly likely.
Other long-term effects from ingestion may
also occur, including:
Kidney failure
Heart failure
Esophageal strictures, scarring of the
esophagus that makes it hard for a
person to swallow.
(Source: https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/paraquat/basics/facts.asp)
4*Source: https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat-dichloride
5. The dangers of paraquat ingestion are real!
In 2013, a 70-year-old female unknowingly ingested some
contents of a re-used iced tea bottle that contained paraquat.
She went to the hospital awake and alert with persistent
vomiting. Over the course of a 16-day admission, she
developed the classic picture of paraquat ingestion: corrosive
gastrointestinal injury plus kidney and respiratory failure
leading to death.
How could this have been avoided? Never transfer paraquat
products into food or beverage containers!
*Source of incident information: http://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/paraquat-dichloride-one-sip-can-kill 5
7. First Aid if a Paraquat Product is Swallowed
SPEED IS ESSENTIAL. Immediate medical attention is
required. If available, give an adsorbent such as
activated charcoal, bentonite, or Fuller’s Earth.
Call a poison control center or doctor immediately for
treatment advice.
Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious
person.
7
8. Accidental ingestion of paraquat products should
NEVER happen.
8
NEVER place paraquat products
into food or beverage
containers or containers not
explicitly intended for
pesticides.
Store paraquat products in their
original containers under locked
storage that can only be accessed
by authorized personnel.
Never remove any of the
paraquat product from its original
container, except for immediate
use for approved pesticide-
application-related activities.
10. Accidental ingestion of paraquat products
should NEVER happen.
• All warnings and restrictions on the paraquat product labels must
ALWAYS be followed.
• Paraquat products must ALWAYS be stored tightly closed in original
container, and in a locked place away from children and animals.
• Paraquat products must NEVER be used in residential or public
recreational settings.
• Paraquat products must NEVER be put into food or beverage
containers or containers not explicitly intended for pesticides
10
11. What has changed with paraquat products?
• Only certified applicators can legally apply paraquat.
• A non-certified applicator may not use paraquat even if
working under the supervision of a certified applicator.
• Certified applicators must successfully complete an approved
paraquat training at least once every three years.
11
12. What has changed with paraquat products?
• You should receive a Paraquat Safety Counter Card when you
purchase paraquat. Ask for it if you aren’t given it!
• New label warnings and restrictions (in English and Spanish),
including a new warning box
• A new warning sticker on or near product caps (in English and
Spanish)
• A Product Package Safety Requirements Sticker
12
14. REVIEW Check-In
1) Which of the following could lead to an accidental ingestion
of a paraquat product?
A. Pouring a product into a drink or food container
B. Storing a paraquat product in or around the home
C. Neglecting to lock up paraquat product
D. All of the above
14
15. REVIEW Check-In
2) What is the smallest number of sips of a paraquat product
that can be fatal?
A. 5
B. 2
C. 1
D. 4
15
16. REVIEW Check-In
3) Based upon the information you have learned today, how
many people did EPA report in 2016 as having died since 2000
from accidental ingestion of paraquat which had been illegally
transferred to beverage containers?
A. 2
B. 8
C. 17
D. 24
16
17. REVIEW Check-In
4) Which of the following are requirements a person must meet in
order to be able to legally apply paraquat?
A. Be a certified applicator or work under the supervision of a certified
applicator
B. Pass an EPA-approved paraquat training course
C. Have at least 3 years of experience applying paraquat products
D. Be a certified applicator and pass an EPA-approved paraquat
training course
17
18. REVIEW Check-In
5) How often is paraquat-specific training required?
A. Once every year
B. Once every 2 years
C. Once every 3 years
D. Once every 4 years
18
Hello, and thank you for participating in this paraquat stewardship training. This training is a requirement for any certified applicator who wishes to apply paraquat. There will be review check points throughout the training, and a final assessment upon completion of this training.
Paraquat is highly toxic so applicators need to be aware of how to handle paraquat products safely.
Paraquat is highly toxic when ingested and should never be placed into beverage or food containers. It is illegal to do so.
Accidental ingestion or drinking a paraquat product that has been illegally placed in another container, like a drink bottle, has led to death. Remember: One sip can kill.
Paraquat products marketed in the United States continue to have special features designed to help prevent potential paraquat poisoning. A dye is added to the pesticide to keep it from being confused with many beverages and a sharp odor is added to serve as a warning agent.
The labels for paraquat product labels contain important safety information that must always be followed.
Again, paraquat products are highly toxic if ingested.
People who accidentally ingest, or drink, paraquat products are unlikely to survive. In December 2016, EPA reported that since 2000 there have been 17 deaths, 3 involving children, caused by accidental drinking of paraquat. These cases have resulted from the pesticide being illegally transferred to a beverage container and later mistaken for a drink and consumed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, if a person does survive the toxic effects of paraquat poisoning, long-term lung damage such as scarring is highly likely. Other long-term effects from ingestion may also occur, such as kidney failure, heart failure, and esophageal strictures, scarring of the esophagus that makes it hard for a person to swallow.
The dangers of paraquat ingestion are real. Here is an actual case from 2013, when a 70-year-old female unknowingly ingested some contents of a re-used iced tea bottle that contained paraquat. She went to the hospital awake and alert with persistent vomiting. Over the course of a 16-day admission, she developed the classic picture of paraquat ingestion: corrosive gastrointestinal injury plus kidney and respiratory failure leading to death.
How could this have been avoided? The dangers of paraquat ingestion are real – NEVER put paraquat in a food or beverage container. This incident would have been avoided if the paraquat product had never been put into the iced tea bottle.
5:36 SCENARIO THAT COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTAL INGESTION
As a certified applicator of paraquat, you are responsible for preventing accidental drinking of paraquat. NEVER place a paraquat product, or any pesticide, into a food or beverage container or a container not explicitly intended for pesticides.
5:47 (Applicator reading label)
The applicator starts out here by doing the right thing, that is, by reading the product label.
5:56 (Applicator putting PPE on)
Next, he puts on his remaining PPE, including his respirator, his face shield, and his gloves.
6:22 (Applicator measuring paraquat)
He then measures out the amount of paraquat that he needs for his application. It looks like he has just a little product left in the jug.
6:45 (Applicator pouring out water from his water bottle and putting paraquat in it)
At this point, the user decides to pour the water out of his water bottle. He then pours the remaining paraquat into his empty water bottle. This action is strictly prohibited by law.
7:22 (Applicator goes away and leave bottle on his workbench)
Now he compounds his illegal action by leaving the water bottle with paraquat in it unattended on his workbench.
7:30 (Woman picks up bottle from back of truck and puts in fridge)
Not knowing anything about what is in the water bottle, the woman innocently picks it up and places it in the fridge.
7:45 (Man goes into fridge, finds bottle, and starts to drink it)
A short time later, someone comes into the farm shop to get something to drink. He is unaware that the bottle he has chosen contains paraquat. Taking even one small sip from this bottle could be fatal. Please note, real paraquat was not used in the making of these videos.
If you think you or someone else may have ingested paraquat, seek medical help immediately. SPEED IS ESSENTIAL. If available, give an adsorbent such as activated charcoal, bentonite, or Fuller’s Earth, according to the product’s First Aid section.
Call a poison control center, the emergency number on the paraquat product label, or a doctor immediately for treatment advice.
Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Accidental ingestion of paraquat should never happen.
NEVER place paraquat into food or beverage containers or containers not explicitly intended for pesticides.
Store paraquat products in their original containers under locked storage that can only be accessed by authorized personnel.
Never remove any of the paraquat product from its original container, except for immediate use for approved pesticide-application-related activities.
SCENARIO BASED ON A CASE STUDY
1:26 (Mixer pouring paraquat into water bottle)
The consequences of accidental ingestion are real. This dramatization is based on a real-life incident in which several illegal actions led to the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy.
Here again we see the certified applicator illegally pouring paraquat product into an empty water bottle.
1:55 (Mixer takes water bottle with paraquat and gives it to woman)
Now we see the certified applicator illegally giving the water bottle with the paraquat product in it to another person.
2:08 (Woman arrives home with bottle and places it on a shelf in garage)
The person who got the paraquat product from the certified applicator arrives at her house. She places the bottle with the paraquat product in it on a shelf in her garage. Paraquat products must never be stored or used around homes, and they must always be stored in locked cabinets out of reach of children.
2:22 (Young girl comes on the scene and reaches for the bottle with the paraquat)
Next a young girl comes into the garage and immediately reaches for the bottle with the paraquat product in it.
The wrong actions of the certified applicator and the woman have created this situation that could have fatal consequences. In the real-life case that this dramatization was base on, the child that drank from the soda pop bottle died after 16 days in the hospital.
Accidental ingestion of paraquat products should NEVER happen.
All warnings and restrictions on paraquat product labels must ALWAYS be followed.
Paraquat products must ALWAYS be stored tightly closed in original container, and in a locked place away from children and animals.
Paraquat products must NEVER be used in residential or public recreational settings.
Paraquat products must NEVER be put into food or beverage containers or containers not explicitly intended for pesticides
Now, let’s discuss the changes being made to all paraquat products.
One big change is that now only certified applicators who successfully complete this training can legally apply paraquat – not people working under their supervision.
Certified applicators must successfully complete an approved paraquat training at least once every three years.
Upon purchase of paraquat, you should receive a Paraquat Safety Counter Card. If you are not given one, you should ask for it.
Some changes have been made to paraquat containers and labels to better highlight the risks associated with paraquat use.
Be sure to carefully read and have an understanding of the entire paraquat product label prior to handling the product.
The new label has warnings and restrictions in both English and Spanish, including a new warning box (also in English and Spanish).
Also, a new warning sticker, in English and Spanish, can be found on or near the cap of jugs of paraquat products, but may be found elsewhere on larger containers.
In addition to all of this, a Product Package Safety Requirements Sticker has been added.
The back panel of paraquat products will now have Product Package Safety Requirements stickers similar to the one seen here. These stickers will help remind you of some of the key points being covered in this training.
Let’s pause a moment to review what we have covered so far.
Which of the following can lead to an accidental ingestion of a paraquat product?
Pouring a product into a drink or food container
Storing a paraquat product in or around the home
Neglecting to lock up paraquat product
All of the above
The answer is D: pouring a product into a drink or food container, storing a paraquat product in or around the home, and neglecting to lock up paraquat product.
2) What is the smallest number of sips of a paraquat product that can be fatal?
5
2
1
4
The answer is C: 1 small sip can be fatal.
3) Based upon the information you have learned today, how many people did EPA report in 2016 as having died since 2000 from accidental ingestion of paraquat which had been illegally transferred to beverage containers?
2
8
17
24
The answer is C: 17 people have died since 2000 from accidental ingestion of paraquat.
4) Which of the following are requirements a person must meet in order to be able to legally apply paraquat?
Be a certified applicator or work under the supervision of a certified applicator
Pass an EPA-approved paraquat training course
Have at least 3 years of experience applying paraquat products
Be a certified applicator and pass an EPA-approved paraquat training course
The answer is D: Be a certified applicator and pass an EPA-approved paraquat training course
5) How often is paraquat-specific training required?
Once every year
Once every 2 years
Once every 3 years
Once every 4 years
The answer is C: Once every 3 years
Thank you, you have successfully completed this stewardship training.