Massachusetts Pesticide test

Chronic health effect

Problems that develop over a relatively long period of time, following either one significant exposure that initiates a problem, or following a series of small exposures which accumulate in some manner and result in a development of a disease or disorder

acute toxicity

Poisoning from a single dose over a much shorter duration of time

How soon do health effects occur from accrue toxicity?

Within 24 hours of exposure

Chronic health risk problems (major examples)

Mutagenicity, oncogenicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, neurotoxicity

Mutagenicity

Ability of a substance or agent to cause mutations to genes or chromosomes

Changes from mutagenicity are...

Almost always harmful

Tests to detect mutagenicity

Varied. Tests on cells to tests on whole animals

It's believed that chemicals that cause mutations are more likely to be ones that can also cause...

Cancers

Why is mutation testing used as a first screen for new compounds?

Faster and cheaper than animal lifetime testing

Oncogenicity

The ability of a chemical to cause abnormal growths or tumors in tissues

Carcinogenicity

Ability of a substance or agent to cause malignant tumors

How do they test chemicals for their ability to cause tumors

Administering daily doses to animals for their entire lifetime and then dissecting them to detect presence of tumors in the animals tissues

A rodent carcinogenicity study takes how long typically?

2-3 years

Pesticide companies are required to submit test data on oncogenicity from....

Several animal species

There are currently how many pesticide active ingredients considered known, likely, or probable carcinogens

Over 70

MDAR

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

Act to protect children and families from harmful pesticides

Passed in 2000. Pesticide products that contain carcinogens may not be used in or around schools, daycares, or after school programs

Teratogenicity

Ability of a substance to cause abnormal growth or deformity in developing fetuses (birth defects)

How is teratogenicity tested

Administering doses of chemical to female test animals at various stages of pregnancies and observing number of miscarriages and defective offspring verses what would normally be expected

Examples of animals used to test teratogenicity

Rodents, rabbits, dogs, monkeys

Effects of chemicals are usually considered significant for teratogenicity if...

They occur at doses not toxic by themselves to the mother

Testing for teratogenicity is standard part of pesticide registration although ___________ May exist for older chemicals

Data gaps

Neurotoxicity

Gradual damage to basic nerve structure. Does not refer to reversible effects

Test animal for neurotoxicity

Chicken

Hepatoxicity

Damage to liver

Nephrotoxicity

damage to the kidneys

Immunotoxicity

Compromise immune system

Fetotoxicity

Direct toxic injury or death of fetus

Hemotoxic effects

Blood disorders

Cholinesterases

Enzymes found in humans, insects, and other species that are necessary for normal function of the nervous system

What kind of insecticides can block or inhibit cholinesterases

Organophosphates, carbamates

How much exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides does it take to make you feel sick

Depends on type of product, potency of active ingredient, amount of exposure, whether you're handling concentrated or diluted mixture

Effects of exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides

May range from no observable effects to severe illnesses or symptoms requiring hospitalization. Severe poisoning can lead to coma or death

When do symptoms occur after exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides

Anywhere from time of exposure to 12 hours

Symptoms of acute poisoning from cholinesterase blocking pesticides

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tightness in chest, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, cramps, restlessness, headache, confusion

Poisoning from organophosphates or carbamates can resemble...

Drunkenness, head cold, flu

Why monitor cholinesterase levels

To establish a baseline for normal activity and be alerted to any drop in enzyme levels before they reach values low enough to make you sick. Changes can be detected in absence of symptoms. Workers can be removed from exposure before symptoms occur

Natural recovery from cholinesterase blocking pesticides exposure normally occurs...

When exposure stops

Who should have their cholinesterase levels monitored?

People who regularly use organophosphates and carbamates

What should you do if you are inadvertently exposed to cholinesterase blocking pesticides

Remove contaminated clothing. Wash area well with soap and water. Contact physician immediately

How can pesticide exposure effect honey bees

Disorientation that can effect how well a bee can navigate, forage for food, and return to colony safely

What are the main contributing factors leading to bee poisoning problems

Bloom, toxicity of the pesticide to bees, residual action, formulation, drift of chemical, timing, temperature, strength of colony, distance from treated fields

bloom

Contamination of blooming plants with insecticides

It is not recommended to do insecticide application during ____________ and many are prohibited on the label

Blooming period

Avoid spraying __________ that are growing in orchards or in fallow areas adjacent to crops

Blooming weeds

In landscape and lawn settings avoid applying insecticides ______________

When flowering ground cover is in bloom

Tree spray work must not be done ___________

To ornamentals such as flowering crabapples when they are in bloom

Shade trees must not be sprayed ___________

When they are in bloom or pollen shed

____________ are also attractive to bees and must be considered as if in flower

Plants in pollen shed

Bees tend to be ______ susceptible to pesticide poisoning than many target pest insects

More

Where will information about bee toxicity for a specific pesticide he found

Environmental hazards section of label

Residual pesticides

Chemicals designed to provide pest control for days or weeks

Dusts are _________ hazardous than sprays to bees

More

Why do wettable powders have a longer toxic hazard to bees

Cling better to body hair of foraging bees

What is the most hazardous formulation to bees

Microencapsulation

Microencapsulation

Active ingredient is encased in tiny nylon type plastic capsules

Why are microencapsulated pesticides so hazardous to bees

Capsules have special tendency to adhere to bees because of their size and electrostatic charge. When contaminated pollen is stored in beehive combs it remains toxic to bees from one season to the next

What is recommended to reduce drift of chemical

Cutting or mowing weeds

When do we apply least hazardous formulations when it's required during blooming period

Late evening

Honey bees can become active and forage at temperatures as low as _______

55 degrees F

At very high temperature (90F+) bees may forage less for pollen and nectar and more for __________ to cool the hive

Water

During high temperatures (90F+) _____________ May be a source of injury to bees foraging for water

Puddles of spray

Why do larger honey bee colonies suffer greater losses than smaller colonies

More foragers are exposed to pesticide residues while flying outside of the hive

Most severely damaged colonies of honey bees will be those __________

Immediately adjacent to fields/areas where pesticides have been applied

During a lack of pollen and nectar bees have been severely poisoned up to ______ miles from treatment area

5

If a label says "do not apply while bees are visiting treatment area" it refers to....

Bees that you see on plants

If a label says "do not apply if bees are visiting treatment area" it refers to...

Bees on plants and bees that may visit plants after treatment. Indicates pesticide has extended residual toxicity

Neonicotinoid Insecticides were first registered in the USA in...

Mid 1990s

Neonicotinoid Insecticides

Have relatively low mammalian toxicity and were considered a good alternative to more toxic pesticides. Tend to be persistent and as they degrade continue to be toxic to bees

Most commonly used insecticide in USA

Neonicotinoid

Uses for neonicotinoid pesticides

Control bed bugs, manage fleas and ticks on pets, manage termites, manage wide range or insects and insect relatives on fruit, vegetables, turf, landscape, and structural settings

How can you protect bees from pesticide poisoning

Read and follow all directions on the pesticide label regarding toxicity to bees, apply pesticides when bees are not actively foraging or visiting plants, do not treat crops or plants in bloom, become familiar with state regulations concerning the protection of pollinators, minimize pesticide drift, choose the least hazardous formulation of a pesticide, modify spray programs in relation to weather conditions, do not treat during hot evenings when honeybees are clustered outside of the hives, know where bee colonies are in your area, do not place unmarked honey bee colonies adjacent to Fields or orchards which are likely to be treated, find ways to enhance the health of bees and other pollinators

pests

Unwanted organisms that are a nuisance to people or domestic animals and can cause injury to humans, animals, plants, structures, and possessions

Examples of pests

Insects, other anthropods, plant diseases, fungi, bacteria, viruses, vertebrates, rodents, birds, and weeds

Management

Process of making decisions in a systematic way to keep pests from reaching unacceptable or intolerable levels

Total eradication of pests is...

Not necessary or possible

Monitoring

Regular and thorough inspection

pest resurgence

Pests are initially controlled but later increase in numbers that then require addition pesticide applications

Secondary pest outbreaks

Natural enemies of a species are destroyed allowing another pest whose population has been historically low to reach outbreak levels

pesticide resistance

Chemical pesticides become ineffective because pests become resistant to their effects

Reasons pesticides can be ineffective

Pesticide resistance, chemical does not reach pest, chemical is washed off, chemical is applied at an improper rate, chemical is applied at the wrong time during a pests life cycle

IPM Procedure

Identify the pest, determine the source and cause of the problem, note the extent of the damage, and use this information to decide the action to take

How can using IPM save money

Avoiding losses due to pests, avoiding unnecessary pesticide expenses

microbial pesticides

Less risk to humans and less impact and disruption to the environment

In Massachusetts schools, daycare centers, and in school age child care programs are required to adopt and implement an....

Integrated pest management plan for both indoor and outdoor areas

In Massachusetts State facilities can only use...

Approved IPM contractors

For vegetation management along roads, powerlines, and other rights of way you must use...

IPM plans

Monitoring pests involves...

Regular checking of the area, early detection of pests, proper identification of pests, identification of the effects of biological control agents

pheromone traps

Natural insect scents

Identifying the effects of biological control

Knowing which creatures are helpful in determining if pests have been affected by the beneficial organisms

Assessment

Process of determining the potential for pest populations to reach an action threshold

Action Threshold

Intolerable level

Economic Injury Level

Number of pests which cause damage that is equal to the cost required to control the pest

economic threshold

Highest point a pest population can reach without risk of it reaching the economic injury level

Zero threshold

When the tolerable level for a certain pest is zero

Forecasting

Determine if weather conditions will be favorable for the development of diseases and insect pests

action

Control methods

Cultural controls

Methods that change the environment of the pest making it less favorable

Agricultural culture controls

Plowing, crop rotation, removal of infected plant material, sanitation of greenhouse equipment, removal of pest harborages, and effective manure management

Indoor cultural controls

Clutter reduction and proper cleaning practices