Pesticide exposure can harm the health of farmworkers and their families, especially when chemicals are carried home on clothing. Current testing methods are expensive, slow, and require specialized labs, making it hard for individuals to monitor their own exposure. The objective of this project is to create an affordable, easy-to-use pesticide exposure kit that can be used to detect pesticides where people live or work. The kit will use simple paper and plastic sensors and a tape-based sampling method to identify even tiny amounts of pesticides on surfaces. Researchers will refine the sensor design, develop clear bilingual instructions (English and Spanish), and work with Extension Agents to test the kit on farms. The goal is to provide farmworkers and their families with a low-cost way—just a few dollars per test—to measure pesticide exposure and make informed choices to protect their health.
Full project title: Home Pesticide Exposure (HoPE) Kit
Funded by: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Funding period: 2025-2027
Principal Investigator
