Have you ever wondered or been asked the following questions: How long will the chemicals that I use on my lawn last? Will they contaminate my well? Is it dangerous to use pesticides for insect control if I am pregnant or have small children? Could this old bottle of liquid I found in the garage be a pesticide? According to Terry Miller, Extension Pesticide Coordinator and Director, Oregon State University, answers to these and other pesticide-related question are now avialable through the National Pesticides Telecommunications Network (NPTN).

The NPTN, sponsored cooperatively by Oregon State University and the US Environmental Protection Agency, is a toll-free information service available to any caller in the United States. The NPTN provides objective, science-based information about a wide variety of pesticide-related subjects including pesticide products, pesticide poisonings, toxicology and environmental chemistry.

The NPTN is open to questions from the public and professionals. It is staffed by highly qualified and trained pesticide specialists who have the toxicology and environmental chemistry training needed to provide knowledgeable answers to questions about pesticides. Pesticide specialists can help callers interpret and understand toxicology and environmental chemistry information about pesticides.

The NPTN receives more than 2000 calls per month. Most callers are homeowners concerned about their family's health when pesticides are being used in and around their homes to control lawn and garden pests, ants, termites and fleas. The NPTN provides information on the pesticides used in these situations, and gives information on methods homeowners can use to reduce their exposure to pesticides. While the NPTN does not make recommendations about which pesticides to use for pest control, the service can direct callers to local resources for products available in their area. The NPTN can also direct callers for pesticide incident investigations, safety practices, clean-up and disposal and laboratory analysis.

The NPTN uses a variety of information sources such as EPA documents, USDA and Cooperative Extension publications, the scientific literature and a pesticide product database. Information is available at no cost over the telephone, and non-copyrighted materials can be mailed or faxed for a small fee. You can reach them 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, seven days a week, excluding holidays. Telephone: 1-800-858-7378. Fax: 1-541-737-0761. E-mail: nptn@ace.orst.edu.

Information is also available through the NPTN World Wide Web site at: http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/