Get Pesticide Use Practices And The Impact On Water Quality N Oregon ... - Sbi Oregonstate

Even pesticides that have a long shelf life under ideal conditions can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to environmental extremes. Overexposure to humidity, air and light, and especially temperature, can cause chemicals to lose their effectiveness much sooner than expected.

The typical time most harsher pesticide treatments need for a safe return is between 2 and 4 hours. After that time, an additional 30 minutes is recommended to let the building breathe. This should be done with windows open and fans running to allow air levels inside to return to normal.

The persistence of pesticides in the soil is measured by their half-life, the rate at which the compound breaks down in the soil (US EPA, 2012). The longer the half-life, the longer the compound will stay in water or soil in its original form, therefore more prone to leaching through the soil.

Most pesticides have an indicated shelf-life of at least two years from the time of manufacture, but shelf-life will be shortened if pesticides are not stored properly (e.g. if they are stored at high temperatures).

Pesticides are usually not supposed to have a residual (persistence) for more than a few months, but different pesticides can persist for from 3 months to 10 years or longer. Most household pesticides degrade in between 3 to 6 months, but this varies a lot depending on where they are sprayed.

What are persistent pesticides? Persistent pesticides, which primarily consist of organochlorine pesticides, are considered persistent because they are stable in the environment and resist being broken down.

Persistent pesticides, which primarily consist of organochlorine pesticides, are considered persistent because they are stable in the environment and resist being broken down.

DO PESTICIDES AFFECT PEOPLE AT LEVELS SOMETIMES FOUND IN DRINKING WATER? After prolonged exposure to high doses, some pesticides can cause cancer; some can also result in birth defects and damage to the nervous system (see page 12 for more information on the health effects of pesticides).