Measure S4: Pesticide Use in Minnesota's Public and Private Schools

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• Approximately 47 percent of responding school custodians reported that they sprayed pesticides “as needed” in the classroom. A little over a third (34 percent) reported the same frequency of pesticide use in locker rooms and gymnasiums, cafeterias, kitchens, and food storage areas.
  
• Most (64 percent) responding custodians reported that their schools engaged the services of contractors to apply pesticides routinely, and that most of these contractors (90 percent) had applicator certification and licenses. However, the survey reported that facility directors, custodial and maintenance staff, and teachers also were engaged in routine pesticide application in schools.
  
• The indoor pesticides reported as the most commonly used were Saga WP, Demand CS, Tempo WP (all pyrethroids), and Borid. However, a variety of pesticides including the organophosphates Dursban (chlorpyrifos) and Diazinon were used indoors in some schools. An agreement between EPA and registrants of Dursban cancelled the pesticide’s use in schools, parks, and other settings where children may be exposed. This phase-out resulted in the termination of retail sales by December, 2001.¹
  
• Forty percent of the responding custodians reported that their schools provided no notification of pesticide use (such as notices in fumigated areas or pre- and post-application letters to students and teachers).

Related Measures:

• Pesticide Residues on Foods Frequently Consumed by Children

Healthy People 2010:

Objective 8-24 of Healthy People 2010 aims to reduce exposure to pesticides.

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1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2000. Chlorpyrifos Revised Risk Assessment and Agreement with Registrants. Washington, DC: United States Environmental Protection Agency. 7506C. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/chlorpyrifos/agreement.pdf.

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