Which statement about pesticide exposure routes is true?

• A. Studies show that about 97% of all body exposure to pesticides during a spray application is by inhaling the pesticide.
• B. The palms & forearms absorb pesticides more quickly than the scalp, ear canal, and forehead.
• C. The kidneys filter pesticides from the blood into urine.
• D. Eating, Drinking, or Smoking without first washing your hands after handling is likely to transfer the product to your mouth.

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that ingestion is a major and preventable way people are exposed to pesticides, especially through hand-to-mouth transfer after handling them. If your hands are contaminated and you eat, drink, or smoke without washing first, residues can be carried to your mouth and swallowed, leading to exposure. That’s why washing hands thoroughly before touching your mouth, eating, drinking, or smoking—and avoiding handling food or beverages with contaminated hands—is such a critical safety step. The other statements don’t describe how exposure occurs: one claims most exposure is inhalation in a spray application, which isn’t a universal or guaranteed rule; another talks about which skin areas absorb pesticides faster, but absorption can vary and isn’t the primary exposure route in everyday handling; and a third describes the kidneys filtering pesticides after exposure, which is about processing the substance, not how exposure happens. So hand-to-mouth transfer after handling pesticides is the true exposure route highlighted.