Applicator General Flashcards
True or False: If unsupervised, you must have a license to legally work with restricted use pesticides, but not to work with state-limited pesticides.
False
True or False: To legally perform structural pest control, you must have a license regardless of the kinds of pesticides you use.
True
______ is not an agency that shares responsibility for pesticide applicator training, certification and licensing? What two agencies are responsible?
-Texas AgriLife Research
-Texas Dept. of Agriculture (TDA) and Texas
Structural Pest Control (SPCS)
Which license must be obtained by a person who wants to perform pest control as an employee at a privately owned apartment building or hospital?
A noncommercial license from the SPCS
To work for hire, using restricted or state-limited pesticides on another person’s land, which license must you have.
A commercial license from the TDA
True or False: All licensed commercial and non-commercial applicators must be certified in each application category in which they practice.
True
Which of the following is not among the TDA application categories?
Right-of-way, Predatory animal, Wood preservation, Fumigation. (Wood Preservation)
Is Seed Treatment among the SPCS application categories?
No
Is Texas AgriLife Extension Services involved in pesticide regulation?
No.
True or False: Under the Texas Pesticide Law, pesticides used in this state must be registered with the Texas Department of Agriculture, even if they are already registered with the U.S. EPA.
True
____ ____ is your responsibility to inform nearby residents or adjacent landowners before you apply pesticides.
“Prior Notification”
True or False: In addition to state government, even county commissioners courts may set rules on the use of certain pesticides.
True
True or False: Even with a commercial applicator license, you must still obtain a spray permit before using regulated herbicides.
True
True or False: Speciality fertilizer in containers with capacities of 50 pounds or less that are labeled for ornamental and turf use are exempt from classification as state-limited-use pesticides or regulated herbicides.
True
The Texas Structural Pest Control Act requires you to give public notice at least _____ hours before commencing indoor pesticide treatments.
48
Which agency enforces the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act?
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
What is the full name and acronym of the federal agency that regulates pesticides?
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
What is the full name and acronym of the law used to manage pesticides?
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Is the EPA required to consult the office of pesticide programs before a pesticide may be marketed in the U.S.?
No
What are two types of penalties defined by FIFRA for applicators who violate the law?
-Civil penalties when the violation is unintentional
-Criminal penalties when the law is knowingly
violated
Does FIFRA allow prison terms for criminal (intentional) violators?
Yes, up to 30 days for private applicators and up to 1 year for commercial applicators.
What are regulations?
Interpretations of the law that have the force of law
What is meant by the term “reentry interval”?
The time right after pesticide application when unprotected workers may not enter the treated area
True or False: Warnings of pesticide application must be given in writing to workers according to the EPA.
False
What is the EPA’s pesticide registration decision based on?
EPA evaluation of test data provided by the manufacturer.
If the EPA decides that a pesticide poses a risk to consumers, what can the EPA do?
Set reentry intervals to restrict workers from entering a treated area; Set restrictions on the frequency of application and rates; Cancel or suspend use of the pesticide
Which federal agency sets food tolerances for Pesticides?
EPA
Which federal agency enforces food tolerances for pesticides?
FDA
What is the purpose of the tolerance program?
To ensure that U.S. consumers are not exposed to unsafe pesticide residue levels in food
Which act is administered by the EPA to manage all hazardous waste?
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
How can triple rinsed, used pesticide containers be disposed of?
In an EPA approved sanitary landfill
What kind of pesticide standards does FIFRA allow states to establish?
Stricter than federal standards, but not more lenient
Which agency administers the Hazard Communication Standard?
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Pesticide applicators generate waste during normal work operations. Are triple rinsed used pesticide containers considered “regulated waste” under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act?
No
Regulations interpreting the Transportation Safety Act are contained in 49 CFR. What do these regulations cover?
All safety aspects of transporting hazardous materials
What is the act SARA Title III designed to do?
Inform communities of hazardous chemicals in the area and provide for community emergency response plans in the event of an accident
What is an endangered species?
A plant or animal that is in danger of extinction throughout all or much of its range
Which federal agency determines what species are endangered?
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the Department of the Interior
Who ultimately bears the responsibility of protecting endangered species from pesticides?
The applicator
____ is the capacity of a substance to injure or poison a living system, such as a human being, an animal, a lake or a forest.
Toxicity
What is pesticide exposure?
Coming in contact with a pesticide
____ ____ refers to how poisonous a pesticide is after short term exposure.
Acute toxicity
____ ____ is a one-time or short-term contact with pesticide.
Acute exposure
___ ___ is a delayed poisonous effect from exposure to a substance.
Chronic toxicity
___ ___ is long-term repeated contact with pesticides.
Chronic exposure
The effects of which type of exposure-acute or chronic-can be more easily detected and studied?
Acute
A pesticide dose is the ___ of pesticide to which a surface, plant or animal is exposed.
amount
Name 3 routes by which a pesticide an enter your body.
dermal, oral, and inhalation
True or False: Some pesticides are poisonous no matter how they enter the body.
True
Which pesticide solution is most likely to be absorbed through the skin?
Oil-based
Which areas of the body absorb pesticides quickly?
Eyes, ears, scalp and genitals
Which two routes of entry are likely to be the most important to you?
Dermal and inhalation
Which factors affect the toxicity of a pesticide?
- Route of entry
- Frequency and duration (rate) of exposure
- Dose received
An example of a chronic effect is the drop in ___, an essential body enzyme, caused by organophosphates and carbonates.
Cholinesterase
___ effects occur at the site of contact with a pesticide while ___ effects occur away from the point of contact.
- local
- systemic
Skin rash, nausea, eye irritation and dizziness are examples ___ toxic effects.
reversible
LD50 means “Lethat Dose Fifty”. It refers to the amount of a chemical that kills ___ the animals exposed to it in a laboratory test.
half (50%)
True or False: The smaller the LD50 value, the less chemical required to be fatal, so the more poisonous the pesticide.
True
Acute oral toxicity and acute dermal toxicity are measured as LD50. The higher the LD50 the ___ (more or less) toxic the pesticide.
Less
How is LD50 used?
LD50 is used with the other tests to place pesticides in a “toxic category” and give them a signal word.
LC50 means “Letha ___ Fifty”. It refers to the amount of chemical in the air that caused half of the test animals to die when they inhaled it.
Concentration
Six milligrams per kilogram (mk/kg) is equal to ___ parts per million.
six
What signal word must be on the label for pesticides classified as “relatively non-toxic”?
CAUTION!
What signal word must be on the label for pesticides classified as “highly toxic”?
DANGER!
What signal word must be on the label for pesticides classified as “slightly toxic”?
CAUTION!
What signal word must be on the label for pesticides classified as “Moderately Toxic”?
WARNING!
The toxicity of a substance is its ability to cause injury, while ___ is the risk or chance that harm will come from using the pesticide.
hazard
Is a highly toxic material always very hazardous?
No, if a highly toxic material is handled properly it could actually pose low risk or hazard.
True or False: Most deposits remain on surfaces for a very long time.
False
What is a “deposit”?
A pesticide that remains on a treated surface right after application.
True or False: Residues are found only on target crops and surfaces.
False. Residues can be found on any surface where they are applied.
A ___ is the maximum amount of pesticide residue allowed on a harvested crop, set by the EPA.
Tolerance
Can a harvested crop contain more than the set tolerance of a pesticide and still be legally sold?
No. It cannot be legally sold.
What margin of safety (“safety factor”) does the EPA use to set tolerances?
100 times lower than the NOEL (No Observed Effect Level), which is the highest dose in a dose-response study that does not cause an adverse effect that scientists can observe. RfD (Reference Dose) is at least 100 times lower than the NOEL.
True or False: Food may have no residues at all because the residues may have degraded or the crop may have been treated with a minimum dose of a pesticide.
True
True or False: Soil and plant surfaces may contain pesticide residue even when they are not directly sprayed with the pesticide.
True
EPA sets two kinds of tolerances: ___ ___ tolerances for pesticides that indirectly contact food; and tolerances for pesticides applied directly to food.
Negligible residue, Finite
“Pre-slaughter interval” or “pre-harvest interval” refers to the ___ (“least/most”) number of days allowed between the last pesticide application and the slaughter or harvest day.
least
True or False: No pesticide may be bought, sold or used in the United States until it has federal registration for the product, the use and the label.
True
True or False: Sometimes even small environmental changes can greatly reduce the chances of survival for fish and wildlife.
True
When a pesticide evaporates and moves off target, this is called ___ ___.
Vapor Drift
Do pollution and re-entry interval influence drift?
No. It is influenced by Particle size, Nozzle design and orientation, humidity, height of release, wind speed and direction, and temperature.
Why should honeybees be protected?
Their work as pollinators is necessary for crop production.
True or False: Pesticide residues can build up in the bodies of animals, including man.
True
True or False: Only pesticides that are applied incorrectly are likely to move downward with rain or irrigation water into the water table below.
False
True or False: A pesticide becomes a pollutant and potentially dangerous when it is applied at a higher dose than recommended on the label or when it drifts off target.
True
How should you change pressure to reduce liquid droplet drift?
Reduce pressure to increase droplet size
What are the possible consequences of pesticide drift onto forage and pastureland or into drinking water?
People, pets and livestock can be injured by pesticide exposure; Pasture grasses could be destroyed; Milk or meat could have illegal residues if cattle eat contaminated forage; Water may become too contaminated to drink.
True or False: Pesticide pollution can help a pest you are trying to to destroy by killing predators and parasites of the pest.
True
An ___ is a geologic formation of permeable rock, sand or gravel that stores large amounts of water.
Aquifer
Why are aquifers important?
Many people use water from aquifers for drinking.
What is the name given to the complex prey/predator cycle in which all animals (including humans) take part.
Food Chain
The best protection against groundwater pollution is ___.
Preventing contamination
At what level is man in the food chain?
The top
An ___ pesticide is one that builds up in animal and plant tissues.
accumulative
A ___ pesticide is one that remains in the environment without breaking down.
persistant
True or False: Even though persistent pesticides remain in the environment, they do not always accumulate in animals or plants.
True
An ___ ___ is a plant or animal that is near extinction throughout all or most of its range.
endangered species
Name 4 processes that cause a pesticide to break down after application.
Photodegradation; Microbial degradation; Chemical degradation
Pesticides that degrade ___ in the environment are the least hazardous.
Quickly
Name two reasons why pesticide accidents occur.
- Lack of up-to-date knowledge
- Unsafe handling practices
If you or your partner feels sick on the job, should you leave the work undone or try to finish it?
Do not try and finish the job. Get out of the area immediately and get help.
How should you clean your washing machine after laundering pesticide-soiled clothing?
Run a complete, but empty cycle using hot water and detergent.
True or False: The safest way to move pesticide is in the back of a truck that has a steel bed with enclosed sides and a tailgate.
True
True or False: You should wear a wide-brimmed, chemical-resistant, waterproof hat (not a cap) when you are exposed to pesticide drift.
True
True or False: You should store all clean protective equipment and clothing separately from stored pesticides.
True
When you plan to work with pesticides, where should you look for information about the protective clothing you need?
On the pesticide label
True or False: During pesticide handling, you should wear both gloves and boots made of chemical-resistant material.
True
True or False: You should wear protective clothing when you are exposed to pesticide drift, but hardly ever when you are mixing and filling pesticides.
False
True or False: When filling a spray tank, you should always stand with your head above the container and the filling hole of the spray tank.
True
How should you prepare for an accidental spill of a pesticide?
Have absorptive material available; have bleach or hydrated lime for decontamination; keep soap, detergent and water close at hand; have a change of clothes available
True or False: If a nozzle clogs up while you are spraying pesticides, the best way to clear it is to blow the nozzle out with your mouth.
False
If the pesticide is not took toxic, is it OK to let children and pets play in the area while you are spraying there?
Never let children or pets play in a treatment area during spraying.
True or False: When you are spraying near bee colonies, it is up to the owners alone to keep the bees out of your way or to remove the bees.
False
How can you prevent accidents commonly caused by equipment?
Choose the safest equipment for your pesticide application needs; Do not allow children or unauthorized people near pesticide equipment; Operate equipment correctly; Maintain equipment well
The length of time that should pass between treatment and returning to a treated area is called the ___ ___.
Reentry interval
True or False: Regardless of the reentry interval stated on the label, you may reenter a treated site after sprays dry, dusts settle and vapors disperse.
false
What is the most common cause of pesticide poisoning for applicators?
Skin contact
When should you wear elbow-length, chemical-resistant gloves?
When handling any pesticide, except certain fumigants and relatively non-toxic products.
Why not use cotton or leather gloves when handling highly toxic pesticides?
Cotton and leather absorb pesticide and holds it close to the skin
True or False: You must always wear a chemical-resistant suit when handling highly toxic pesticides.
True
How often should you wash your contaminated overalls?
daily
Should you ever wash the inside of your boots?
Yes, after each use
When is it necessary to wear goggles or a full face shield?
- Whenever pesticide could contact your eyes
- When you pour or mix concentrates
- When you work with a highly toxic spray or dust
Which type of hat is useful to protect your head and neck from highly toxic pesticides?
- Chemical resistant rain hat
- certain wide-brimmed hats
- Washable hard hat with no liner
Are cotton or felt hats adequate head protection against highly toxic pesticides?
no
How do you know if a respirator is necessary?
If the label says so
When must you always wear a respirator?
Whenever mixing or filling highly toxic pesticides
True or False: Applicators who will be constantly exposed to small amounts of toxic pesticides for a day or several days should wear a respirator.
True
When are cartridge respirators often used?
For a relatively short exposure period to concentrated chemicals; For a long exposure period to low concentrations of toxic chemicals
What is the main drawback of cartridge respirators?
Leakage around the face shield
True or False: Gas masks are used when the applicator will be exposed to toxic fumes in heavy concentrations or for long time periods.
True
When should gas masks be used with an independent oxygen supply?
When you are exposed to unknown vapors
When you reenter a fumigated area
Should you try to fit the respirator so that some air can leak in around your face?
No