University of Central Oklahoma
The Student Voice Since 1903
TUESDAY February 17, 1998
Students affected by chemical spray By Lisa Tatum Statinititer
Employees of Accu-Lawn, an Oklahoma City lawn care company, began applying the pre-emergent weedkiller Pendimethalin at UCO the morning of Feb. 11. Many students walked across the newly-sprayed lawns, unaware of the possible dangers skin contact with the
chemicals could cause. Don Powers, director of safety and environmental management at UCO, said green liquid sprayed over Pendimethalin, also know as Pendulum, campus lawns last week left is a hazardous chemical that. should be some students with questions washed off with soap and water if it gets and concerns over what they were being on someone's skin. exposed to and how it might affect their "The low dose they would get walking health. across the grass probably wouldn't be a problem," said Powers. "But if I got it on me, I'd wash it off." Labetta Wallenmeyer, director of the Student Health Center, said one student came in Feb. 12 complaining that the spray was causing him respiratory problems. Wallenmeyer said the student was told to come back the next day if he still felt ill, but he never returned. Powers said when he learned the chemical was going to be used on campus, he sent a memo to all deans asking them to curtail any outdoor student activities during the originally scheduled application times of Feb. 9 to 11. The application actually began Feb. 11 and was completed Feb. 13. Facilities Management Director Lennis Pederson said the spraying was scheduled two weeks ago. He said he sent a notice to eight campus departments on Feb. 2 asking them to "tell others of this activity and recommend a common sense use of the lawns." A copy of the chemical's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) attached to Pederson's notice indicates Pendimethalin is toxic to fish. Testing on rabbits showed moderate irritation to eyes and skin, but indicates the material is no more than slightly toxic to rabbits by single skin applications. Accu-Lawn employee Chris Rock sprays Pendimethalin, a pre-emergent Accu-Lawn representatives said weed killer, on the grass outside the Communications Building. (Staff photo Pendimethalin is used by many lawn by Bryan Terry)
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companies and is dangerous in its undiluted state. However, the company dilutes the chemical with five or six parts water to every one part chemical and says their employees wear goggles, boots and gloves to protect themselves from exposure when handling the undiluted chemical. The safety sheet suggests applicators also wear impervious gloves, boots and eye goggles when applying the diluted chemical outdoors but Accu-Lawn employees seen spraying the chemical at UCO did not wear goggles. Pederson said a representative of Accu-Lawn told him that his employees did not need protective equipment or attire to apply the chemical. An Accu-Lawn technician in Oklahoma City said the chemical evaporates quickly after being applied to the grass, making skin contact unlikely. Students who walked across the newly-sprayed grass Thursday said they didn't know what they were walking through. Cortez Newel said he saw the "green stuff' on the grass but was in a hurry. "If I'd seen a sign I wouldn't have walked on it," he said. Kathy Nguyen agreed. She said she also was in a hurry and crossed the grass as she often does. But she said she would have walked around if there had been a sign about the chemicals on the grass. The MSDS states that Pendimethalin should not be applied when weather conditions favor drift from target areas. The wind Thursday may have increased exposure to students who were hundreds of yards away from the
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