Maria Fernandez, 42, of Cancun, Mexico, sits outside a shoddy trailer she shares with other workers. "Everybody around here always has headaches, coughs, running noses," she said. "It has to do with that dust on the plants from the chemicals. You are always breathing it in."

Since many exposures come during those field applications, the risks - to farmworkers and to nearby residents who can be affected if the chemicals drift - can occur much more frequently. "You are working in one field, and the tractor passes in the next field spraying," says Epifanio, 58, a veteran Mexican farmworker who asked that his full name not be used, out of fear for his job. "The wind brings it to you. It happens to somebody around here every single day."

A Spanish language trifold with pesticide safety information.

The manual is a guide that can be used by community workers, educators, and health promoters for their educational activities in the community. It provides information on the risks of exposure to environmental contaminants and pesticides and ways to reduce those risks. It also includes useful information and tips for working in the community. 

As for the comic book, community workers, educators and health promoters can use it as an educational tool to inform their community about the risks of environmental contaminants and pesticides. 

Spanish radio novelas called, Las Historias de Melesio.  With funding from the EPA Region III, MCN partnered with Rural Family Development of the Virginia Council of Churches to produce five radio novelas to promote environmental health information.

Note: All files are .mp3 type. To download and then listen, right-click and select "Save target as..." on the desired link above. To listen inside of the browser without downloading, simply click the desired link.