Which of the following is NOT a major route of human pesticide exposure?

• A. Oral
• B. Inhalation
• C. Dermal
• D. Injection

Answer: (D)

The main concept here is that human pesticide exposure occurs most commonly through three routes: oral (swallowing residues, hand-to-mouth transfer, contaminated food or water), inhalation (breathing in spray, dust, or fumes), and dermal contact (pesticide touching or soaking into the skin). Injection is not a typical exposure route in everyday pesticide handling because it would require piercing the skin with a needle and delivering the chemical directly into body tissues, which is not something that happens during normal agricultural use. While accidental needle-stick injuries in medical or lab settings could introduce a pesticide into the body, that situation is rare and not considered a major exposure pathway in standard pesticide safety discussions. Therefore, injection is not a major route of exposure compared with oral, inhalation, and dermal routes. This is why proper handling, hygiene, and PPE focus on preventing those three common pathways.