Pesticide DRIFT

Drifting pesticides can travel for miles, resulting in widespread toxic air pollution. In indoor environments, vaporized pesticides can persist for weeks after an application, concentrating in the air closest to the floor -- where children spend more of their time -- and condensing on plastic items such as children's toys. Pesticide drift causes acute poisonings and chronic illness, with children most at risk. ( http://www.panna.org/legacy/gpc/gpc_200304.13.1.10.dv.html )

Laws Governing Drift   (from PANNA)

Spray drift, which is drift of particles and vapors that occurs during pesticide applications, is poorly regulated by current state and federal laws and regulations.

Post-application drift, which can occur for many days after an application, is barely regulated at all and is not acknowledged by U.S. or Canada.

Current regulations fail to define pesticide drift to include all forms of drift. The Canadian PMRA, as well as the U.S. EPA currently defines drift as the airborne, offsite movement of pesticides that occurs during and immediately after application. Yet PANNA's detailed analysis of monitoring data shows that, for volatile pesticides, the bulk of off-site movement occurs as pesticides volatilize after application (see figures in above reference and Secondhand Pesticides, Figure 3-1).

The volatile pesticides PANNA studied include several fumigants, as well and the organo-phosphorous insecticide chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and the thiocarbamate herbicide molinate ( this latter not licensed in Canda). Chlorpyrifos evapaorates so easily that it is considered as a volatile organic compound in California Chlorpyrifos is commonly used in SK agriculture under the trade name Lorsban.

Canada

Information Note: Pesticide Spray Drift in Residential Areas This is the PMRA page accessed on May 5, 2010. As you can see,  statements on spray drift is based on assumtions of proper use of pesticide products according to directions and only considers drift during application. Unfortunately, there is no ongoing Canadian or SK inspections of spray events of individuals, commercial applicators or farmers. A statement such as : "Although some pesticides can have strong odour that may be disagreeable, the odour itself is not harmful and tends to dissipate quickly." has no value for safety assessment . What is important is what in the formulation causes the odor, how toxic it is, how volatile the pesticide formulation is and how much active ingredient is in the 'smell' portion. The latter will depend on the size of particles of the pesticide active ingredient itself as well as formulants, as well as on spray equipment, and environmental conditions such as wind, heat and humidity. It also does not recognize the daily cycle of measdurable evaporation off all sprrayed surfaces (post-application or evaporation drift). This document indicates that the PMRA does not adequately adress drift.

U.S. steps to control drift

* Illinois takes "baby steps" to reduce drift  The voluntary initiative asks organic growers, beekeepers and others to register the locations of their lands with the website, and has the support of the state's agrichemical industry, which hopes to avoid any new, mandatory regulations  ( PanUps http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20100226 )

How much protection from drift is there in SK?  (I don't think there is much but will update as I get the information)