General Standards Flashcards
If unsupervised, you must have a license to legally work with restricted pesticides, but not to work with state-limited pesticides
False
To legally perform structural pest control, you must have a license regardless of the kinds of pesticides you use
True
Which is not an agency that shares responsibility for pesticide applicator training, certification and licensing?
Texas AgriLife Research
Which License must be obtained by a person who wants to perform pest control as an employee of a privately owned apartment building or hospital?
Noncommercial license from the SPCS
To work for hire, using restricted or state limited pesticides on another person’s land, you must have:
A commercial license from the TDA
All licensed commercial and noncommercial applicators must be certified in each application category in which they practice
True
Wood preservation is not among the TDA application categories
True
Seed treatment is a SPCS application category
False
Which of the following state agencies is not involved in pesticide regulation?
- TDA
- Texas AgriLife
- Texas Commission on Evironmental Quality
Texas AgriLife
Under the Texas Pesticide Law, pesticides used in this state must be registered with TDA, even if they are already registered with the EPA
True
___ ____ is your responsibility to inform nearby residents or adjacent landowners before you apply pesticide
Prior Notification
In addition to state government, even county commissioners courts may set rules on the use of certain pesticides
True
Even with a commercial applicator license, you must still obtain a spray permit before using regulated herbicides
True
Specialty fertilizer in containers with capacities of 50 lbs 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 of Environmental Quality
What is the full name and acronym of the federal agency that regulates pesticide?
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
What is the full name and acronym of the law used to manage pesticide?
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
The EPA must consult the Office of Pesticide Programs prior to a pesticide may be marketed in the US
False
As defined by FIFRA, applicators who violate the law unintentionally are subject to ____ penalties, while applicators who intentionally violate the law are subject to ____ penalties
Civil, Criminal
Does FIFRA allow prison terms for criminal violators?
Yes. Up to 30 days for private applicators and up to 1 year for commercial applicators
What are regulations?
Interpretations of law that have the same force as law
What is meant by reentry interval?
The time directly after treatment that workers may not enter the treated area
Warnings of pesticide application must be given in writing to workers
False
What is EPA’s pesticide registration decision based on?
Their evaluation of test data provided by the manufacturer
If the EPA decides that a pesticide poses a risk, what can the EPA do? (3)
- Require longer pre-harvest intervals
- 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 pesticide?
FDA
What is the purpose of the tolerance program?
To ensure that US consumers are not exposed to unsafe pesticide residue levels in food
Which act is administered by EPA to manage all solid hazardous waste?
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
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
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 containers considered “regulated waste?”
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 a long term repeated contact with a pesticide
Chronic Exposure
The effects of which type of exposure 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 the three routes by which pesticide can enter your body
- Dermal
- Oral
- Inhalation
Some pesticides are poisonous no matter how they enter your body
True
Which pesticide solution is most likely to be absorbed through the skin?
Oil-Based
Which areas of the body absorb pesticides quickly? (4)
Eyes, ears, scalp, genitals
Which two pesticide routes of entry are likely to be the most important to you?
- Dermal
- Inhalation
Which factors affects the toxicity of a pesticide? (3)
- Route of entry
- Frequency and duration of exposure
- Dose Received
An example of a chronic effect is the drop in ___, an essential body enzyme, caused by organophosphates and carbamates
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 of ____ effect
reversible
LD50 means “Lethal Dose Fifty.” It refers to the amount of a chemical that kills ____ the animals exposed to it in a laboratory test
50%
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 and measured as LD50. The higher the LD50, the ____ toxic the pesticide
Less
How is LD50 used?
LD50 is used with other tests to place pesticides in a “toxic category” and give them a “signal word”
LC50 means “Lethal ____ 50.” It refers to the amount of chemical in the air that caused half of the test animals to die when they inhaled it.
Concentration
6 milligrams per kilogram is equal to ____ parts per million
6PPM
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 “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
Most pesticide deposits remain on the surface for a very long time
False
Residues are only found on target crops and surfaces
False
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
What margin of safety does the EPA use to set tolerances?
100 times
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
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; ______ Tolerances for pesticides applied directly to food
Negligible residue, Finite
No pesticide may be bought, sold, or used in the US until it has federal registration for the product, the use, and the label
True
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
Does pollution or reentry interval influence drift?
No
Why should honeybees be protected?
Because their work as pollinators is necessary for crop production
Pesticide residues can build up in the bodies of animals, including man
True
Only pesticides that are applied incorrectly are likely to move downward with rain and irrigation water into the water table below
False
A pesticide becomes a pollutant and potentially dangerous when it is applied at a higher does 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? (3)
- Injury
- Damage
- Contamination
Pesticide pollution can help a pest you are trying 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?
Drinking water
What is the name given to the complex prey/predator cycle in which all animals take part?
Food Chain
The best protection against groundwater pollution is:
Preventing Contamination
At what level is man in the food chain?
Near the top
An ____ pesticide is one that builds up in an animal and plant tissues
Accummulative
A ____ pesticide is one that remains in the environment without breaking down
persistent
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
What 3 processes cause pesticides to break down after application?
- Photodegradation
- Microbial degradation
- Chemical degradation
Pesticides that degrade ______ in the environment are the least hazardous
Quickly
Reading and understanding pesticide labels are why accidents occur
False
If you or your partner feel sick on the job, you should still try to finish the job
False
How should you clean your washing machine after laundering pesticide soiled clothing?
Run a complete, but empty cycle using hot water and detergent
The safest way to move pesticides is in the back of a truck that has a steel bed with enclosed sides and a tail gate
True
You should wear a wide-brimmed hat when you are exposed to drift
True
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
During pesticide handling, you should wear both gloves and boots made of chemical-resistant material
True
You should wear protective clothing when you are exposed to pesticide drift, but hardly ever when you are mixing and filling pesticides
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
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 too toxic, it is okay 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
When you are spraying near bee colonies, it is up to the owners alone to keep bees out of your way or to remove the bees
False
How can you prevent accidents commonly caused by equipment? (4)
- Choose the safest equipment for your application needs
- Do not allow children or unauthorized people near pesticide equipment
- Operate equipment correctly
- Maintenance
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?
Because they absorb pesticide and hold it close to your skin
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? (3)
- Whenever pesticide could contact your eyes
- When you pour or mix concentrates
- When you work with a highly toxic spray or dust
Are cotton or felt hats adequate head protection against highly toxic pesticides?
No
