Key facts
- Hotter temperatures increase farmworker vulnerability to pesticides by stressing the body and enhancing skin absorption.
- Rising heat can lead to higher pesticide evaporation rates and chemical transformation into more toxic compounds.
- Thousands of US farmworkers experience acute pesticide poisoning annually, with many cases going unreported.
- Heat is a leading weather-related cause of illness and death among US workers.
- Federal regulations for farmworker heat protection are limited, though OSHA is working on a new standard.
- Some states have enacted heat protections, while others have prohibited local ordinances.
As climate change drives up global temperatures, farmworkers face amplified risks from pesticide exposure, according to a growing body of research. Heat stress makes the human body more susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticides, while also increasing the rate at which pesticides evaporate and can transform into more dangerous compounds. This combination of factors exacerbates the dangers for the nation's 2.4 million farmworkers, many of whom are immigrants and people of color, leading to what experts describe as environmental injustice.
Omanjana Goswami, a scientist at the Union for Concerned Scientists, explained that higher temperatures lead to increased inhalation and skin absorption of pesticides. The Union for Concerned Scientists' report indicates that rising temperatures may also lead to expanded pesticide use as pests and weeds proliferate. While precise data is limited, thousands of farmworkers suffer from acute pesticide poisoning annually, with many cases going unreported due to varying state practices and a lack of adequate reporting.
Field workers, who do not directly handle chemicals, constitute the majority of reported poisonings, often due to employers failing to post adequate warnings or provide proper protective gear and training. Research also shows that protective gear, such as PVC gloves, can degrade in high heat, becoming less effective. Chronic exposure to pesticides is linked to serious health issues including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. Family members can also be exposed to pesticide residue carried home on clothing.
Heat itself is a significant danger, being the leading weather-related killer in the United States. Thousands of outdoor laborers suffer heat-related illnesses and injuries each year. In response to these risks, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a new standard in 2024 to define employer obligations for heat hazard control, though progress is slow. While some states like California and Oregon have implemented heat protections, others, such as Florida and Texas, have prohibited local governments from establishing such measures, even after proposals for mandatory water and rest breaks were considered.