Prep Course

Front 1

Applicator Responsibilities

Back 1

• use equipment in well repair & safe to operate
• be careful & effective manner
• use appropriate methods & equipment
• exercise reasonable precautions to avoid contamination of the environment
• be in possession of copy of registered labeling-how is pesticide being use

Front 2

Applicator Responsibilities (2)

Back 2

• measure concentrated pesticides only w/ devices accurately calibrated to the smallest unit in which pesticide is being weighed/measured
• maintain a uniform mixture
• clean equipment to prevent illness/damage to persons, plants or animals from pesticide residue
• avoid water contamination by equipping each piece of application equipment w/ air-gap separation/back-flow prevention device/double-check valve assembly

Front 3

Applicator Responsibilities (3)

Back 3

• Prior to & while applying pesticide, evaluate equipment to be used, weather, property being treated & surrounding properties to determine likelihood of harm/damage
• Prevent pesticide drift

Front 4

When Pesticide Application Cannot Be Done Due to Drift

Back 4

• no potential to contaminate people not involved in application
• no possibility of damaging non-target crops, animal or property
• no possibility of contaminating public/private property, including the creation of a health hazard that would prevent the normal use of that property.

Front 5

Pesticide Drift

Back 5

• when small spray droplets move w/ air current away from intended target
• potential greatest when droplets are small & weather is windy
• result of high spray tank pressure &/ use of small spray nozzles

Front 6

Pesticide Drift Consequences

Back 6

• Herbicidal - can cause damage to adjacent crops/landscape plants
• Insecticidal - can have human health impacts to people working near application area
• can result in illegal pesticide residue on crops & have environmental impacts to fish & wildlife

Front 7

Pesticide Drift Prevention

Back 7

• Avoid spraying in windy conditions (on label)
• increase droplet size
• use drift control agent - increase spray density/weight (adjuvant/thickening agent)
• hot/dry weather - evaporation rate higher
• temperature inversions
• buffer zones

Front 8

Pesticide Drift & Wind

Back 8

• on pesticide label
• generally, 5 mph will not produce significant drift
• in CA, some restricted herbicides (phenoxy herbicides - 2,4D have a 10 mph wind speed limit

Front 9

Temperature Inversions

(no wind)

Back 9

1. weather condition where cool air is trapped close to ground level by warm air layer
2. pesticide droplets trapped & concentrated
3. concentrated pesticide cloud can move off-target & cause damage

Front 10

Buffer Zones

Back 10

• area within treatment area that remains untreated to protect adjacent, sensitive areas
• can be used when wind is blowing toward sensitive area
• drift lands within zone to leave downwide site uneffected

Front 11

Pesticide Residues

Back 11

• not always detrimental & may be needed for some types of pest management
• Insecticide Use in Residential/Institutional Setting - provides long-term pest control
• Pre-emergent Herbicides - allow the herbicide to remain active in soil (controls germinating weeds)

Front 12

Pesticide Tolerances

Back 12

• measured in mg of pesticide/Kg (produce)
• expressed in "parts per million" (ppm)
• weight of pesticide over weight of item

Front 13

Legal Residue Levels (Tolerances)

Back 13

• EPA establishes levels (highest concentration) allowed
• applies to produce
• When produce exceeds tolerance, produce is quarantined & removed from sale & distribution

Front 14

Preharvest Interval (PHI)

(on label)

Back 14

• waiting period from application to harvest
• allows time for residue to break down to a safe level for human consumption

Front 15

Reentry Invertal (REI)

(on label & in regulations)

Back 15

• waiting period from application to workers re-entering field
• allows time for residue to break down to a safe level for human contact

Front 16

Plantback Restrictions

Back 16

• restrictions on planting specific crops after soil-applied pesticides, waiting period for next crop
• protect next crop from soil-borne residues, which can cause damage if residues have not broken down

Front 17

Pesticide Residue Sampling Programs

Back 17

• Federal, state & county
• monitor crop commodities for residues
• agricultural commodities can be quarantined when residues exceed federal tolerancesT

Front 18

Tolerances for Combinations of Related Pesticide Residues

Back 18

• Combined related residues cannot exceed 100%
• Amount Found/Tolerance = % of residue
• measured in ppm

Front 19

Unrelated Tolerances

Back 19

• each pesticide is looked at seperately
• each pesticide can have residue level of 100%

Front 20

Protecting Bees

Back 20

• some pesticides & especially insecticides are "bee toxic"
• we depend upon bees for pollination
• beekeepers within 1 mile of treatment area must be notified a min of 48 hrs before (time may be increased/decreased by CAC or by agreement of beekeeper & applicator.)

Front 21

Information Provided To Beekeepers

Back 21

• time & place of application
• crop & acreage being treated
• method of application
• name & dosage rate of pesticide
• contact information for person performing pest control

Front 22

Storage & Transportation

Property Owner Responsibilities

Back 22

• provide a person to maintain control over pesticide containers/equipment. person must be present in vicinity at all times to prevent contact with unauthorized persons -OR-
• store pesticide containers/equipment in locked enclosure. liquid material packaged in a container larger than 55 gallons container need not locked enclosure if closure on container is locked

Front 23

Pesticide Transportation & Storage Requirements

Back 23

• cannot be transported in same compartment with people, food or feed
• containers must be secured to vehicle to prevent spillage
• person who delivers pesticide must deliver to responsible person/put in locked enclosure
• must be stored according to label
• containers made of paper must be covered to make them resistant to moisture
• storage areas must be built to contain spills & prevent runoff
• should not be stored in same area as feed/human food
• illegal to put container commonly used for food/drink/common household container
• warning sign must be posted outside of storage area for "warning" or "danger" indicated pesticides

Front 24

Container Sign Requirements

Back 24

• must be visible from any direction of approach
• must be legible from distance of 25 ft
• may need to be in another language

Front 25

Requirements of Disposal

Back 25

• 28 gallons or less of liquid must be rinsed and drained by user at time of use
• two methods - triple rinsing/pressure rinsing

Front 26

Triple Rinsing

Back 26

1. Fill empty container with clean water
2. Close tightly & shake firmly
3. Pour back into spray tank.
4. Repeat two more times, each time pouring rinsate back into tank
5. Spray rinsate on to use site.
6. Take to disposal/recycling facility.

Front 27

Pressure Rinsing

Back 27

1. Invert emptied container over a special nozzle located at opening of mix tank.
2. Rinse interior of container until solution is clear. (Rinse water must be at least 1/2 the volume of container.)
3. Minimum of 15 pounds pressure/sq inch must be used.

Front 28

Disposing of Containers

Back 28

• regs allow rinsed containers to be recycled & large drums to be reconditioned - must be approved by DPR
• disposal site must conduct within requirements of multiple agencies
• some containers must be punctured, emptied & rinsed
• No triple rinse available for dry - empty container by shaking & dispose in landfill/burn when allowed

Front 29

Important Factors Related to Groundwater Pollution

Back 29

• soil type - sand most susceptible, clay least susceptible
• groundwater depth - shallow greatest risk
• pesticide's water solubility - more soluble greater risk
• pesticide's potential for absorption into soil/organic matter - weaker potential is greater risk

Front 30

DPR Groundwater Protection Program

(Three Elements)

Back 30

1. List of known groundwater contaminant pesticides in DPR regs. Well-sampling program have found compounds in groundwater over last few decades
2. Maps of "Groundwater Protection Area" in CA. GWPA are sensitive to contamination due to depth, soil type, etc.
3. DPR restrictions on use of listed pesticides (#1)