Farm workers exposed to herbicide near Conrad

GRUNDY COUNTY - Thirteen detasselers who came into contact with herbicides near Conrad last Thursday were taken to the hospital, where they have since been treated and released.
The workers, a detasseling crew for Monsanto, were working in a field north of Conrad when the wind carried herbicide from a ground sprayer in a neighboring field into their vicinity.
One member of the crew, Alejandro Segura, told KCCI: "I was in shock. Some people were having trouble breathing and stuff. It happened so fast."
The workers, who complained of sore throats and itchy eyes, were instructed to evacuate the field and undergo onsite decontamination, according to a Monsanto spokesperson.
From there, the workers were taken to Central Iowa Healthcare in Marshalltown, where they underwent further decontamination and treatment. Three other crew members, including bus drivers, were also treated. All workers have since been released and cleared to return to work.
Standard procedure calls for the local sheriff’s office and fire departments to be notified immediately. Grundy County Sheriff Rick Penning said his department was not notified of the incident until about two hours afterwards, when the crew was already in Marshalltown being decontaminated.
For the full story, see the July 21 edition of The Grundy Register.