Introduction of

Pesticides
 Content

Introduction Formulation Safe Use and Pesticides

and Types of and Toxicity Misuse of Poisoning
Pesticides of Pesticides Pesticides Symptoms
and First Aid
Measures
 Pesticides
Are the chemical or biological
substances which are used to kill, deter,
change behaviour or impair sterility of
pests for the purpose of control or prevent
them from causing damage to the crops.
 Types of Pesticides
There are various kinds of pesticides on the
basis of their action against pests and
agents. They are:

i. Insecticides
ii. Fungicides
iii. Nematicides
iv. Rodenticides
v. Algicides
vi. Molluscicides
vii. Bio-pesticides
viii. Herbicides
ix. Bactericide
 Types of Pesticides
Insecticides
• These pesticides are used to kill and control the
insect.
• For eg: Cypermethrin, Metasystox, etc.

Fungicides
• These pesticides are used to control the fungal
growth.
• Around 90% of plant diseases are of fungal
origin.
• For eg: Karathene, Mancozeb, etc.

Nematicides
• These pesticides are used to control the
nematode.
• For eg: Dibromo chloro propane, Thionazin, etc.
 Types of Pesticides
Rodenticides
• These pesticides are used to control the
rodents like mice, rats, etc.
• For eg: Zinc phosphide, Warfarin, etc.

Algicides
• These pesticides are used to control the algal
growth.
• For eg: Lime sulphur, Copper oxychloride, etc.

Molluscicides
• These pesticides are used to control the
molluscans like snails, slugs, etc.
• For eg: Metaldehyde, etc.
 Types of Pesticides
Bio-pesticides
• These are naturally occurring pesticides.
• For eg: Neemarin, Azadirachtin, etc.

Herbicides
• These pesticides are used to kill the unwanted
growth of plants i.e. weeds.
• For eg: Atrazine, Simazine, 2,4-D, etc.

Bactericides
• These pesticides are used to control the
bacterial population.
• For eg: Streptomycin, Agrimycin, etc.
 Formulation of Pesticide
Formulation of pesticide is defined as the act of producing
pesticides in precise form.
Generally, the pesticides that appear in the purest form
are known as active ingredient (a.i.). They are usually coarse,
sticky solids and viscous liquid in appearance. But the purest
form of insecticides is not usually used to control pests. They
are either diluted or mixed with auxillaries to make them easy
to handle and safe to use. They are added with carriers,
diluents or surface active agents. Thus, the mixing of active
ingredient with the material in a predetermined form for the
purpose of pest control is known as pesticide formulation.
 Formulation of Pesticide are classified into:

Solid Formulation Liquid Formulation

Dusts Wettable Powders (WP
Granules or W)
Soluble powder (SP or
WSP)
Emulsifiable
Concentrates (EC or E)
Fumigants
 A. Solid formulation
(a) Dust
• These are one of the formulation which are
mixed with dust carriers.
• They contain low % of active ingredient (a.i)
usually less than 10%.
• Size of particles generally ranges from 1 to 40
micron. Smaller the size of particles, higher
will be the toxicity.
• Dust formulated pesticides are used for seed
treatment and for small areas like home.
 Advantages of Dust
• Can be directly used in plants.
• Very suitable for dry areas.
• Can be used in those areas where
there is water scarcity problem.
Disadvantage of Dust
• The dust particles are disturbed or
drifted by wind.
• Don’t adhere to the plant surface.
So, their efficiency will get reduced.
• least effective and uneconomical
than other formulation.
 A. Solid formulation
(b) Granules
• Are similar to dust formulation.
• They differ from each other only by size of
particles.
• They are larger and heavier than that of dust
particles.
• Size ranges from 0.25 to 3mm in diameter.
• The active ingredient is mixed with coarse
material such as clay, corn cobs or walnut
shells. Due to their coarseness and large size,
they are not affected by air drift and released
slowly in soil.
 Advantages of Granules
• Are slower releaser among
pesticides. So, the loss is reduced.
• Have no problem of drifting by wind.
• Have low water requirement for
being effective.
• Can be directly applied on plants.
• Protect young plants for the first
week of their life as they are slow
releaser.
Disadvantage of Granules
• Cost of production and manufacture
is very high.
• Granules can only be applied in root
zone. Foliage parts cannot be
treated with granules.
 A. Liquid formulation
(a) Wettable Powders (WP or W)
• Are mixed with liquid esp. water in a specified
quantity.
• Generally not soluble in water but are mixed
with inert material along with wettable
product (helps to make fine suspension in
water).
• Settle down if left undisturbed. So need
frequent agitation.
• The % of active ingredient ranges from 5-90%
usually more than 50%.
• Example: Dithane M-45, Dithane Z-78, etc.
 Advantages of WP
• Can be easily transported.
• don’t enter into skin directly if they
are in contact. So, are safe.
• More effective in foliar application.
• Efficiency is higher than dusts and
granules.
Disadvantage of WP
• Risk of concentrated powder
inhalation by applicator.
• Should be applied precisely. They
should be properly mixed with
precise amount of water otherwise
sinking of powder at the bottom of
spray becomes a major problem.
 A. Liquid formulation
(b) Soluble Powders (SP or WSP)
• Are mixed with liquid esp. water in a specified
quantity.
• Are mixed with water along with wettable
agent before applying them just like wettable
powder.
• Differ from WP in the fact that SP doesn’t have
disadvantage of WP.
 Advantages of SP or WSP Disadvantage of SP or WSP
• Reliable to carry and mixing. • There is always the risk of powder
• Aren’t absorbed through skin. being inhaled by the user.
• The problem of sinking doesn’t
occur. So they don’t require frequent
agitation.
 A. Liquid formulation
(c) Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC
or E)
• It is the formulations of mixture of active
ingredient, organic solvent and surfactants.
• They require water and emulsifying agent to
be effective.
• They are highly preferred over WP as they can
be easily handled and mixed with water.
• They require less agitation than WP.
• Example: Cypermethrin, malathion-50EC, etc.
 Advantages of EC or E
• Relatively cheaper than other
formulation.
• Easy to transport from one place to
another.
• Have advantage of foliar application
than granular formulations.
Disadvantage of EC or E
• Great risk of such insecticides in skin
resulting skin allergies.
• Problem of chemical being blown
away at the time of spray.
• Tendency of over and under dose of
chemical.
• A person can have difficulties in
precise measurement of chemical
required.
 A. Liquid formulation
(d) Fumigants
• Are the chemicals applied in a vapor
form.
• They contain active ingredients in the
form of liquid kept under high pressure
and converted to gas form at the time of
application.
• Widely used in structural pest control, in
the food and grain storage.
• Example: Zinc phosphide, Hydrogen
cyanide, etc.
 Advantages of Fumigants
• Wide range of action.
• Highly toxic to the pests.
• Very effective as compared to other
pesticides.
• Required in small amount to kill a
large number of pests.
Disadvantage of Fumigants
• Highly spreading over a large area in
short time. So they can be applied
only in closed room or poly house
only.
• Highly toxic to human beings also.
 Toxicity of Pesticides
The toxicity is the capacity to affect the living system. Living
system includes many things which might be plant, human (external as
well as internal organs). Toxins can be of biological origin or artificially
made.
Types of Toxicity Acute toxicity

• Shows the short term effect of

substance (toxins) from a
single or multiple exposure in
a short period of time.
• A pesticides with high acute
toxicity is harmful even deadly
at few dose of the toxin.
• Acute toxicity levels are used as
a way to assess and compare
how poisonous the pesticides
are.
Types of Toxicity Chronic toxicity

• Chronic toxicity is the result of

long term exposure to
pesticides.
• The effects of chronic toxicity
cannot be observed directly or
immediately after single or
multiple use of pesticide.
 Safe use and Misuse of Pesticides
Following things should be kept in mind for the safe use and handling of
pesticides:

a. Choose the right pesticides at right time

• Correct pesticides helps better pest management and less toxic effect.
• Very high dose and very low dose is not recommended as it causes pest
resistance in longer time period.

b. Observe the label first

• Before buying label must be read first and the buyer must understand the
product label.
• Label gives the information of a.i., how to mix and apply the product, when
and where to apply the product, how to store and dispose the product, as
well as safety and environmental precautions and first aid instruction.
 Safe use and Misuse of Pesticides
The below mentioned label signifies the toxicity level of insecticides:

Label Name Level of toxicity

Red label Extremely toxic

Yellow label Highly toxic

Blue label Moderately toxic

Green label Slightly toxic

 Safe use and Misuse of Pesticides
c. Protective clothing and safety equipment
• Person using pesticide is most prone to
pesticide toxicity. So, proper clothing and safety
measures need to be followed.
• Use of rubber gloves, masks, clean clothes
covering whole body, waterproof hats and
boots, eye protection equipment, etc. are the
minimum protective requirement.

d. Mix pesticides safely

• Need to be mixed with accurate measurement.
• The utensils used should be clean and washed
after the use.
 Safe use and Misuse of Pesticides
e. Apply pesticides safely
• Use the prescribe dose and right pesticide.
• Keep utensils need and clean.
• Keep children away from treated areas until
the spray has dried.
• Neat and clean clothing should be used.

f. Care and handling of personal

protection equipment
• Do not mix contaminated clothing with
other.
• If the clothes need to be used more than
once need to be washed properly.
 Safe use and Misuse of Pesticides
g. Store pesticides safely

• Do not store the pesticides in open

vessel as it might get volatilize.
• Should not be kept closer to the food
and water source to protect
contamination.
• Should not be stored in places with
high humidity and heat.
• Also should be protected from
freezing.
 Pesticides Poisoning Symptoms and First Aid
Measures
Symptoms of Pesticides Poisoning

There is always the chance of pesticide

poisoning when person comes in contact of
pesticides.

Symptoms are the sign that a person might

be affected.

a. Symptoms of mild poisoning

b. Symptoms of severe poisoning

 Pesticides Poisoning Symptoms and First Aid
Measures
Symptoms of Pesticides Poisoning
Symptoms of mild poisoning
Symptoms of severe poisoning
Symptoms
Headache, diarrhea, irritation of nose
and throat, eye irritation, nausea,
fatigue, loss of appetite, thirst,
weakness, restlessness, dizziness,
painful joints, nervousness, etc.
Vomiting, convulsions, loss of reflexes,
unconsciousness, inability to breathe,
fever, muscle twitching, thirst,
constriction of eye pupils (eye pupils
become small), increased in respiration
rate, etc.
 Common First Aid for Pesticide Poisoning
Safe precautions should be followed to
avoid pesticide poisoning and its harmful
impact.

a. If a person suffers from acute

poisoning

b. If the pesticide has been inhaled

c. If the pesticide is in the eye

d. If the pesticide is on the skin

e. If the pesticide is swallowed

 If a person suffers from acute
poisoning:
• Give artificial breathing in case of person
not breathing properly.

• Then observe the route of entry of

pesticide like through mouth, nose, eyes,
etc.

• Take the patients to hospital as soon as

possible and also take the label and
sample of pesticide the person has
inhaled.
 If the pesticide has been inhaled:

• Carry out the patient immediately to

fresh air and lay down slowly under
shade.

• The clothes of patient should be made

loose and comfortable.

• If the clothes of patients are

contaminated with pesticides, remove
them quickly.

• Give artificial respiration in case of

difficulty in breathing.

• Take the patient immediately to the

hospital.
 If the pesticide is swallowed:

• Clean the mouth part with water as soon

as possible.

• Empty the stomach as soon as possible

by giving the patient an emetic of salt
solution and ground mustard.

• Do not allow the person to intake any

food or water.

• If the patient is conscious then induce

vomiting.

• Take the patient to hospital as soon as

possible.
 If the pesticide is on the skin:

• Remove the clothes as soon as possible.

• Do not rub the affected parts of the

body.

• Immediately wash the affected part with

warm water and soap.
 If the pesticide is in the eye:

• Wash the eye immediately with clean

water or running water for about 15
minutes.
Thank
you!