Exposure to pyrethrins and pyrethroids can be reduced by exercising care when using pesticides containing these compounds around the house, on pets, and on children and by storing them properly. Certain pyrethroids are sprayed to control mosquitos during the spring and summer; remaining indoors and closing your windows while your neighborhood is being sprayed will lessen your exposure.

In most situations, there is no need to reduce one's exposure to manganese because it is an essential nutrient for good health. Excess levels of manganese may be present in soils, especially at or near hazardous waste sites. Therefore, it is important to discourage hand-to-mouth activity in young children, especially near hazardous waste sites or in areas that may have increased manganese levels in the soil. Manganese is also present in pesticides that may be used around the home.

Carefully handle and dispose of products that contain mercury, such as thermometers or fluorescent light bulbs. Do not vacuum up spilled mercury, because it will vaporize and increase exposure. If a large amount of mercury has been spilled, contact your health department. Teach children not to play with shiny, silver liquids. Properly dispose of older medicines that contain mercury. Keep all mercury-containing medicines away from children.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids usually enter the body when people eat foods contaminated by these chemicals. They may also enter your body when you breathe air that contains these compounds or when you get them on your skin. The use of products that contain pyrethrins and pyrethroids, such as household insecticides, pet sprays and shampoos, lice treatments that are applied directly to the head, and mosquito repellents that can be applied to clothing, may lead to exposure.

You and your children may be exposed to PCBs by eating fish or wildlife caught from contaminated locations. Certain states, Native American tribes, and U.S. territories have issued advisories to warn people about PCB-contaminated fish and fish-eating wildlife. You can reduce your family's exposure to PCBs by obeying these advisories. Children should be told not play with old appliances, electrical equipment, or transformers, since they may contain PCBs.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids interfere with the normal way that the nerves and brain function. Exposure to very high levels of these compounds for a short period in air, food, or water may cause dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle twitching, reduced energy, changes in awareness , convulsions and loss of consciousness. Changes in mental state may last several days after exposure to high levels of pyrethroids has ended.

It is likely that health effects seen in children exposed to high levels of pyrethrins or pyrethroids will be similar to the effects seen in adults. We do not know whether children differ from adults in their susceptibility to these chemicals. Birth defects have not been observed in humans exposed to pyrethrins or pyrethroids. Offspring of animals that ingested pyrethrins or pyrethroids while pregnant showed signs of possible damage to the immune system.

Avoid using pesticides in your home or yard, or on your pet -- use baits or traps instead, keepin your home especially clean to prevent ant or roach infestations. Find out if pesticides are used in your child's school or day care center and campaign for non-toxic alternatives. Avoid heating food in plastic containers, or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap. Do not give young children soft plastic teethers or toys, since these leach potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to significant amounts of benzidine, ask whether your children might also be exposed. Your doctor might need to ask your state health department to investigate. Benzidine has no agricultural or food chemical uses, so exposure to it by eating contaminated food is not likely. Impurities in certain food dyes can be transformed inside the body to benzidine.

Hydrogen peroxide should not be stored in containers that may appear attractive to children, such as soda bottles. Containers with hydrogen peroxide should be stored out of the reach of children.

If you have a water lead problem, run or flush water that has been standing overnight before drinking or cooking with it. Some types of paints and pigments that are used as make-up or hair coloring contain lead. Keep these kinds of products away from children. If your home contains lead-based paint or you live in an area contaminated with lead, wash children's hands and faces often to remove lead dusts and soil, and regularly clean the house of dust and tracked in soil.

Most families will not be exposed to significant levels of phosgene. However, the burning of materials such as certain plastics that contain chlorinated hydrocarbons can produce phosgene gas. You should stay away from fires or other heat sources where such materials may be present.

Materials containing asbestos that are not disturbed or deteriorated do not, in general, pose a health risk and can be left alone. If you suspect that you may be exposed to asbestos in your home, contact your state or local health department or the regional offices of EPA to find out how to test your home and how to locate a company that is trained to remove or contain the fibers.

Household products containing hydrochloric acid should be stored in safe containers, in safe locations, out of the reach of children.

In the home, store substances that contain cadmium safely, and keep nickel-cadmium batteries out of reach of young children. If you work with cadmium, use all safety precautions to avoid carrying cadmium-containing dust home from work on your clothing, skin, hair, or tools.

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to significant amounts of copper, ask whether your children might also be exposed. Your doctor might need to ask your state health department to investigate. The greatest potential source of copper exposure is through drinking water, especially in water that is first drawn in the morning after sitting in copper piping and brass faucets overnight. To reduce copper in drinking water, run the water for at least 15-30 seconds before using it.

Cleaners containing sodium hydroxide should not be stored in containers that may appear attractive to children, such as soda bottles.

If you use arsenic-treated wood in home projects, you should wear dust masks, gloves, and protective clothing to decrease exposure to sawdust. If you live in an area with high levels of arsenic in water or soil, you should use cleaner sources of water and limit contact with soil. If you work in a job that may expose you to arsenic, be aware that you may carry arsenic home on your clothing, skin, hair, or tools. Be sure to shower and change clothes before going home.

Maintain adequate room ventilation when using cleaners containing ammonia and wear proper clothing and eye protection. Never store cleaning solutions in containers that may be attractive to children, such as soda bottles. There are tests that can detect ammonia in blood and urine. However, these tests cannot definitely determine if you have been exposed because ammonia is normally found in the body.

The main way people are exposed to hexachlorobenzene is through food, especially fatty foods (e.g., dairy products, some fish). Eat only moderate amounts of fatty foods to reduce the risk of exposure to hexachlorobenzene and other chemicals that may accumulate in fat. If hexachlorobenzene is produced in your place of work, make sure you do not carry the chemical home in your clothing, skin, hair, tools, or other objects from the workplace.

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to high levels of phenol, ask if children may also be exposed. Your doctor may need to ask your state department of health to investigate.

Purchase an over-the-counter pesticide product containing methoxychlor that is unopened, labeled, and contains an EPA registration number. Follow the instructions and any warning statements on the label if you use over-the-counter pesticide products that contain methoxychlor. Prevent children from entering rooms or playing on lawns too soon after a pesticide has been applied. Prevent children from coming in contact with family pets or farm animals that have been treated with the pesticide.

When not in use, toluene-containing products should be tightly covered to prevent evaporation into the air.

Beryllium can be measured in the urine and blood. The amount of beryllium in blood or urine may not indicate how much or how recently you were exposed. Beryllium levels can also be measured in lung and skin samples. These tests are not usually available at your doctor's office, but your doctor can send the samples to a laboratory that can perform the tests.

Certain dietary supplements and shampoos contain selenium; these should be used according to the manufacturer's directions. Children living near waste sites that contain selenium or coal burning plants should be encouraged to wash their hands before eating and to avoid putting their unwashed hands in their mouths.

Children should avoid playing in soils near uncontrolled hazardous waste sites where aniline may have been discarded.

If you work with HCH, take all safety precautions to avoid bringing the dust home on your clothing. If you use products containing HCH, follow directions for use carefully. Make sure that you keep it in tightly covered containers and store the containers safely where children cannot reach them. Always store chemicals in the original labeled containers. Do not store HCH in containers that children would find attractive to eat or drink from, such as soda bottles.

Children should avoid playing in soils near uncontrolled hazardous waste sites where chromium may have been discarded. Although chromium(III) is an essential nutrient, you should avoid excessive use of dietary supplements containing chromium.