appropriateness
of information for reducing or/and avoiding the risks frompesticides in rural regions. The levels of knowledge
and awareness of the dangers to the environment and human health were investigated by questionnaires
for farmers (209) and retailers (20) in two rural regions (Qianyang County (S1) and Chencang County (S2)) of
the Wei River catchment in China where the modes of farming and the state of erosion are very different. The
results showed that farmers learned the use and dangers of pesticides mainly by oral communication
(p b 0.01). Protective measures were inadequate; 65% (S1) and 55% (S2) of farmers never used any protective
measures during spraying (p b 0.05).Washing hands (N70%) was the most common mode of personal hygiene,
relative to wearing masks, showering, and changing clothes, but no significant differences were observed between
the selected regions. Most pesticide wastes were dumped directly onto the land or into water, suggesting
that educational measures should be taken to address the potential risks from the residues in the wastes. Over
85% of farmers (S1 and S2) claimed to use illegal pesticides, but the reasons for their use varied (p b 0.01). Retailers
were well-informed and highly conscious of their responsibility for the safe use of pesticides, especially
in S2 (p b 0.01). A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that educational level and age differed between