NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
May 14, 1998
Concerns about pesticide exposure should extend beyond those people involved with production agriculture because many homeowners and hobbyists handle a vast array of pesticides during the lawn and garden season, says a North Dakota State University educator. Whether the "crops" people are producing include a lawn of Kentucky blue grass or a section of hard red spring wheat, a row of red beets or acre upon acre of sugar beets, pesticide protection begins with using gloves that are an appropriate match for the chemical in hand.
"There are other areas of the body where the absorption rate is much higher, but transfer to these areas is usually the result of hand exposure," says Linda Manikowske, an assistant professor in the apparel, textiles and interior design department at NDSU.
Research has shown that the groin is an area where pesticide absorption is high. Similarly, pesticide contamination frequently occurs in the waistband of clothes, so anyone mixing, loading or handling pesticides in any way should be keenly aware of their personal hygiene habits.
Manikowske says field studies have proven that wearing gloves reduces pesticide contamination of the hands, yet not everyone who handles pesticides wears gloves. Among the reasons people give for not wearing gloves are that gloves are clumsy, uncomfortable, difficult to get on and off, and hard to clean.
When a glove fits, it seems less clumsy and is more comfortable, says Manikowske. Measuring around the palm and back side of a hand—between the thumb and index finger—will provide glove size. For example, if the distance around a person's hand is 7 inches, then he or she requires a size 7 glove. For gloves sized S-M-L and XL, men's, women's, or one size fits all, find the best fit from the options available.
Manikowske says tight-fitting gloves make hands tire more quickly, and if a glove has to stretch to fit, its material will become thinner, which may allow for easier pesticide penetration. Tight-fitting gloves are also harder to get on and off. In contrast, loose-fitting gloves decrease a person's dexterity and may become more easily entangled in machinery.
Source: Linda Manikowske (701) 231-7352
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
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