Assessing the environment and human health risk of herbicide application in wheat cultivation

In Turkey, herbicide active ingredient (a.i.) was used approximately 25% in pesticide applications in 2007. In Adana province, Turkey, 10 numbers of active ingredients were used for weed control in wheat cultivation areas in 2007. These are: fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, clodinafop-propargyl, mesosulfuronmethyl, iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, florasulam, flumetsulam, 2,4-D acid dimethylamin, tribenuron-methyl, triasulfuron and dicamba. In this study, total risk of herbicide on human health and environment were assessed by POCER (The Pesticide Occupational and Environmental Risk) indicator. In this study, it was obtained that clodinafop-propargyl a.i. has high potential risk for worker (1.000) and operator (0.909) due to 1.000 of maximum EF values. Flumetsulam a.i. and triasulfuron a.i. have no total risk for human health and environment due to 0 EF values in all risk indicators. In this study, it was shown that human health has been affected higher than environment in herbicide applications. It was determined that risk for human health contains 88.7% of total risk values in herbicide application for wheat cultivation areas. It was shown that, in this study, some factors affecting proper application of herbicides such as application techniques and equipment, meteorological conditions and application doses should be taken into account for protecting of human health and environment

Assessment of buffer zones to ditches of dicofol for different applied doses and replication numbers in pesticide applications in Adana province, Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the buffer zones for aquatic organisms of dicofol a.i. (active ingredient) in soybean, cotton, and peanut at recommended doses and replication numbers in the Adana province, Turkey. Thus, a theoretical basis of buffer zones to ditches of dicofol a.i. was evaluated and predicted at different applied doses and replications for soybean, cotton and peanut crops. Different applied doses of dicofol and replications in risk index (RI) were used for buffer zones to ditches, and risks to aquatic organisms, such as Daphnia, algae and fish were identified. Due to its lowest min(NORM w) as a toxicological reference, only Daphnia was evaluated in this study. The calculations carried out suggest that buffer zones should be at least 1.8 m for soybean, requiring a dose of 2.5 L per ha, 2.2 m for cotton with 3.0 L per ha, and 2.6 m for peanut crops with 3.5 L per ha. The zones were determined assuming that RI equals to 1, and there was only one replication of dicofol application by conventional hydraulic sprayer. This study, with its results, may prove to be a pioneer one in Turkey, since there were no previous reports about assessment of buffer zones to ditches of dicofol a.i. for different doses and replications in pesticide applications in this country. © by PSP 2008

Assessment of dermal bystander exposure in pesticide applications using different types of nozzles

In pesticide applications, pesticide deposition on off-target can be reduced by using appropriate nozzles. In this study, the effects of different types of nozzles were investigated pesticide deposition on bystander to malathion. The application rate of trials was 200 l ha-1. In the trials, the hollow cone nozzles (HC), the flat fan nozzles (F), and the low-drift flat fan nozzles (LD) were used. Malathion was applied as 0.570 kg a.i. per ha in the trials. The dermal bystander exposure was measured by using the whole body dosimetry technique. In the trials, the total body area of bystander overalls was approximately 2 m2. All chromatographic analysis was performed on gas chromatography with equipped a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (GC-NPD). Pesticide deposition found in each one of the body parts in F-nozzles was higher than LD and HC nozzles. The lowest pesticide deposition on bystander was found in LD nozzles. Totally, the lowest dermal deposition was obtained as 5.972 µg kg-1 in LD nozzles, and was found to be 1.27-1.88 orders of magnitude lower than in HC nozzles and F nozzles. It was shown that, in this study, the total bystander exposure can be reduced 21.3-46.8% by using low drift nozzles in pesticide applications

Assessment of buffer zone for aquatic organisms in pesticide application

In pesticide applications, the buffer zone helps to protect water sources against pesticide contamination. In 2014, in the Adana province, the percentage of herbicides used was approximately 12% in corn, sunflower, soybean and cotton. To control the weeds, fifteen active ingredients (a.i.) were used in these crops in 2014. These a.i. were acetochlor, aclonifen, benfluralin, bromoxynil, clethodim, dicamba, fluazifop-p-butyl, foramsulfuron, linuron, mesotrione, nicosulfuron, oxyfluorfen, prometryn, trifluralin and tritosulfuron. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of these herbicides on aquatic organisms and estimate buffer zone distances for the above agricultural crops in herbicide application. Risk index (RI) values were calculated according to German Drift Model (GDM) and Dutch Drift Model (DDM). Consequently, buffer zone needs for herbicide application of five a.i., namely acetochlor, benfluralin, linuron, prometryn, and trifluralin, were determined in this study. Results showed that acetochlor a.i. has the highest risk to aquatic organisms and needs a buffer zone distance of more than 57 meters in sunflower cultivation. It was assessed that buffer zone distances should be more than 1.32 m for linuron in soybean, 3.5 m for benfluralin in sunflower, 4.13 m for prometryn (1.5 kg a.i./hm2) in sunflower and 4.19 m for trifluralin in cotton and soybean, and 5.54 m for prometryn (2.0kg a.i./hm2) in cotton. There was no need for a buffer zone in corn. © 2016, Int J Agric & Biol Eng. All rights reserved

The importance of personal protective equipment in pesticide applications in agriculture

Pesticides are applied for protecting the quantity and quality of agricultural crops. Yet, these chemicals may have side effects on human health and the environment. To minimize pesticide effects on human health, farmers have to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in all stages of pesticide handling. However, empirical and research data support that farmers do not use PPE before, during, and after pesticide application. Thus, farmers can often suffer from acute and chronic poisoning by pesticides. Farmers have to be educated about the importance of PPE in pesticide use. The national authorities should provide up-to-date, accurate, and easy to understand information in the training of farmers in the use of PPE. This paper highlights the importance of PPE in pesticide applications in agriculture. © 2018 Elsevier B.V

Determination of dermal bystander exposure of malathion for different application techniques

In pesticide applications, pesticide deposition on environment, human and other organisms, can be reduced by using appropriate pesticides through the application of appropriate application technique. Hollow cone nozzles (HC), air-assisted spinning cage nozzles (ASC), and flat fan nozzles (F) were used in the trials. Malathion was applied as 0.760 kg a.i. per ha in the trials. The dermal bystander exposure was measured using the whole body dosimetry technique. In the trials, the total body area of the bystander over-all was approximately 2 m2. All chromatographic analysis was performed on a Gas Chromatography-Nitrogen Phosphorus Detector (GC-NPD). Totally, the highest dermal deposition was obtained as 12.850 µg kg-1 in flat fan nozzles (F), and was found to be 2.09 - 3.22 folds higher than in hollow cone (HC) and air-assisted spinning cage (ASC) nozzles. Apart from lower left leg (LLL), pesticide deposition found in each one of the body parts in F nozzles was higher than ASC and HC-nozzles. The lowest bystander exposure during malathion application was measured in ASC nozzles 3.995 µg kg-1. It was shown that, in this study, the total bystander exposure during malathion application in bed-grown crops such as strawberries can be reduced by 1.5-3.2 orders of magnitude using ASC nozzles with air-assistance

Pesticide exposure risk on occupational health in herbicide application

The aim of this study was to assess the occupational exposure for operator and worker by using risk indices in herbicide application in Adana, Turkey. The data of herbicides active ingredient (a.i.) related to applications in soybean, corn, cotton, and sunflower cultivation in Adana, 2014, were obtained by calculation of risk index (RI) and exceedence factor (EF) for operators and workers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and without PPE according to the Pesticide Occupational and Environment Risk Indices (POCER). In the result of this study, it was assessed that there were no maximum risk (EF<1) in soybean, corn, cotton, and sunflower cultivation for operators. It was determined that operators were under intermediate risk (60%), and low risk (40%). On the other hand, some a.i. have maximum risk for workers (60%). For workers, PPE was decreased 32% in maximum risk, 44% in intermediate risk and, yet, increased 24% in no risk. In this study, it was concluded that PPE has to be used for minimizing pesticide exposure on workers. It was found that PPE was important for workers in all herbicide applications. Copyright © by PSP and PRT

Determination of total risk of defoliant application in cotton on human health and environment

Turkey is one of the biggest cotton producing countries in the world. Defoliant is applied on 17% of the Turkey cotton production, which is similar to average defoliant application in the world. In Turkey, Finish® and Dropp® are widely in use as defoliant for desired boll opening in cotton. Finish® contains ethephon a.i. and cyclanilide a.i., and Dropp® contains thidiazuron a.i. and diuron a.i. In this study, total risk of defoliant on human health and environment were calculated by POCER (The Pesticide Occupational and Environmental Risk) indicator. The objective of this study was to determine the total risk value of defoliant application in cotton on human health and environment in Turkey. Thidiazuron a.i. has no potential risk on human health and environment. Diuron a.i. has relatively low total risk value on human health. Yet, it has very low risk on environment (0.097). Ethephon a.i. has relatively high total risk on human health (1.550). Cyclanilide a.i. has total risk on human health similar to ethephon a.i. These active ingredients (a.i.) have no potential risk for environment. Consequently, defoliant application in cotton has very low total risk value due to 10 of maximum value

Comparison of field and model percentage drift using different types of hydraulic nozzles in pesticide applications

In pesticide applications, small droplets are desired for better coverage and uniform distribution. Yet, small droplets have a problem: Drift, the movement of droplets off-target. Low drift nozzle produces fewer drift-prone droplets, < 100 µm, compared to standard hydraulic nozzles. In pesticide applications, standard hydraulic nozzles, hollow cone and flat fan nozzles are generally used by farmers. These nozzles have broad droplet spectrum and high proportion drift-prone droplets. Sample of drifted droplets and measurements in field conditions are expensive and can be time-consuming. However, models can be applied to predict drift without field measurement. In this study, model and field measurement of percentage pesticide drift were compared using different hydraulic nozzles, D4-45, F 11006 and low drift 11003 by gas chromatography equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. In the result of this study, for all nozzles, values up to 2 m and 3 m showed that there were statistically different according to German model and Dutch model, respectively. In the result of this study, percentage drift at 5 m compared to 1 m distance decreased approximately 15 folds in low drift 11003, 12 in F 11006 and 10 folds in hollow cone D4-45 nozzles in actual application and 5 folds in German and 9 folds in Dutch models. © IRSEN

Relationship between environmental risk and pesticide application in cereal farming

In 2013, 8 active ingredients (a.i.) in cereal farming were applied for insect and fungus control in Sanliurfa, Turkey. These a.i. were alpha-cypermethrin(EC), chlorpyrifos(EC;WP), difenoconazole(EC), indoxacarb(WG), lambda-cyhalothrin(EC), lufenuron(EC), propiconazole(EC) and tebuconazole(DS). In the present study, environmental risk of these a.i. was calculated via The Pesticide Occupational and Environmental Risk (POCER) indicators. From the results of this study, it was determined that the highest environmental risk is chlorpyrifos(EC). For this pesticide a.i., Exceedence Factor (EF) was assessed at 3.446 for the environment. Regarding the total score, chorpyrifos(EC) had potential risk at 49.2 percent for the environment. The lowest risk was found for tebuconazole due to its 0.000 EF value for the environment. In this study, it was concluded that the pesticide exposure of environment could be minimized by using appropriate application techniques and equipment for reducing pesticide drift, considering buffer zones according to pesticide formulation and toxicity, training in special educational programs, and using the manufacturer’s recommended dosage during pesticide application. © 2015, University of Tehran. All rights reserved