A pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel, or reduce the number of pests and the damage they cause.² Pests are living things that are not wanted because they cause harm, damage, or are considered a nuisance to plants, people, or animals.

Pests can include:  

• Fungi (mold).
• Germs.
• Insects.
• Rodents.
• Weeds.

Pesticides include:

• Disinfectants.
• Fungicides (fungus killers).
• Herbicides (weed killers).
• Insecticides (insect killers).
• Others (e.g., animal repellants, nematicides [nematode worm killers]).

The definition of a pesticide-related illness or injury used for the data presented on the Data Portal is one where the individual had at least two symptoms that happened after, and that are related to, an exposure.³

For more information, visit Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings.⁴

Disinfectants cause almost half of pesticide illnesses and injuries at work in Michigan.⁵

The most common reasons for exposure at work⁵:

• Spill or splash (not related to equipment failure)
• Mixing products

The most common reasons for exposure among the general public:

• Mixing products
• Not following the label instructions

The chance of having health effects from using a pesticide product is called pesticide risk.⁶

Risk factors for pesticide illness or injury are:

• How toxic the pesticide is.
• How long the person was exposed to the pesticide.
• How much pesticide the person was exposed to.
• How the person was exposed to the pesticide, e.g., breathing in, in the eyes, on the skin, or eating or drinking it.

For more information, visit Pesticides - Minimizing Exposure.⁷

One-time pesticide exposures have been linked with⁴:

• Eye, nose, and/or throat irritation.
• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Seizures.
• Shortness of breath.
• Skin irritation.

For more information, visit Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings.

The best way to prevent pesticide exposures is to not use them. Keeping food and water sources unavailable will reduce or remove pests.

When pesticides are needed, make sure to⁷:

• Read and follow the label.
• Never mix different pesticides or different cleaning agents.
• Wear required gloves, eye protection, or masks.
• Do not spray pesticides outdoors when it is windy and preferably wipe rather than spray disinfectants/cleaning products indoors.
• Wash your hands and clothing after using pesticides.
• Store pesticides in a safe place away from children and pets.

For more information, visit Pesticides - Minimizing Exposure Fact Sheet.

Pesticide MiTracking Indicators:

• Total confirmed illnesses and injuries from a pesticide exposure at work or home.
• Work-related confirmed illnesses and injuries from a pesticide exposure.

MiTracking Pesticide Data Can Tell Us

• The number and crude rate of confirmed pesticide illnesses and injuries in Michigan by year and by age groups (0–5 and 6 and older).
• The number and crude rate of confirmed work-related pesticide illnesses and injuries statewide in 5-year groupings by sex, industry sector, occupation, and type of pesticide.
• If confirmed pesticide illnesses and injuries are going up or down over time.

MiTracking Pesticide Data Cannot Tell Us

• Which symptoms are related to each type of pesticide.
• The total number of people affected, cost, or importance of pesticide illnesses and injuries.
• Pesticide illnesses and injuries that were not reported.^{8, 9}

Find Out More

Data from the Michigan Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance Program were used to create this dataset. This program has been funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and is a joint effort of Michigan State University (MSU) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Division of Environmental Health (DEH). For more information, visit Pesticide Illness and Injury.

For additional data information, visit:

• About These Data (found on the data portal after a query search).
• Metadata (Technical information about the content, quality, and context of the data):
  • Total Pesticide Illnesses and Injuries
  • Work-Related Pesticide Illnesses and Injuries

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Pesticides 

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)

Disinfectant Safety (Fact Sheet)

Pesticide/Disinfectant Related Injuries in Home (Fact Sheet)

Pesticide Information

Pool Chemical Safety (Fact Sheet)

Michigan State University Occupational and Environmental Medicine (MSU OEM)

Occupational Pesticide-related Illnesses and Injuries in Michigan, 2019 (report)

Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance in Michigan 2019 (report)

Pesticide Safety and Education

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Environmental Public Health Tracking (CDC Tracking)

• Pesticide Exposures

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance

National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)

Homepage

Minimizing Exposure (Fact Sheet)

1. Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Pesticide and plant pest management division. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/2020_Pesticide_and_Plant_Pest_Management_Division_Annual_Report_717371_7.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2024.
2. US Environmental Protection Agency. Types of pesticide ingredients. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/types-pesticide-ingredients. Accessed June 28, 2024.
3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Case definition for acute pesticide-related illness and injury cases responsible to the National Public Health Surveillance System. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/media/pdfs/casedef.pdf?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/pesticides/pdfs/casedef.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2024.
4. Roberts JR, Reigart JR. Recognition and management of pesticide poisonings. 6^th ed. EPA; 2013. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-01/documents/rmpp_6thed_final_lowresopt.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2024.
5. Michigan State University. Michigan pesticide illness and injury surveillance in Michigan 2019. https://oem.msu.edu/images/annual_reports/2020/Pesticide_2019.pdf Accessed June 28, 2024.
6. National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Pesticides- what’s my risk? http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/WhatsMyRisk.html. Accessed June 28, 2024.
7. NPIC. Pesticides - minimizing exposure. http://www.npic.orst.edu/factsheets/MinimizingExposure.html. Accessed June 28, 2024.
8. Azaroff LS, Levenstein C, Wegman DH. Occupational injury and illness surveillance: conceptual filters explain underreporting. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(9):1421-1429. doi:10.2105/ajph.92.9.1421
9. Prado JB, Mulay PR, Kasner EJ, Bojes HK, Calvert GM. Acute pesticide-related illness among farmworkers: barriers to reporting to public health authorities. J Agromedicine. 2017;22(4):395-405. doi:10.1080/1059924X.2017.1353936.