Environmental Safety and Protection Flashcards
7 cards from real CPA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental Safety and Protection flashcards as text
When mixing pesticides near a well, which practice is most critical to prevent contamination?
Answer: Maintaining at least 50–100 feet of distance from the well
Maintaining adequate distance from wells prevents spills and splashback from directly entering the well casing or seeping through the soil to the water table.
Which of the following describes a 'temperature inversion' and why it matters to pesticide applicators?
Answer: A condition where ground-level air is warmer than upper air, causing fine droplets to remain suspended and drift far
During temperature inversions, stable air near the ground traps fine pesticide droplets, which can drift long distances before settling on non-target areas.
An applicator notices dead fish in a pond adjacent to a recently treated field. The FIRST action they should take is:
Answer: Contact the appropriate state environmental or pesticide regulatory agency to report the incident
Pesticide-related fish kills must be reported promptly to state environmental or regulatory agencies, which will investigate and document the incident.
Which statement about pollinators and pesticide applications is correct?
Answer: Applicators should avoid spraying blooming crops during times when bees are actively foraging
Many insecticides are highly toxic to bees, so applications to blooming plants should be timed for early morning or evening when bee activity is lowest.
Pesticide labels may require a 'no-spray zone' around field borders. This requirement is primarily intended to:
Answer: Prevent pesticide trespass onto neighboring properties and sensitive habitats
No-spray zones at field borders prevent pesticide drift and runoff from reaching neighboring properties, water bodies, or sensitive habitats.
Which of the following best explains why organic matter in soil is important for pesticide management?
Answer: Organic matter binds many pesticides, slowing their movement and breakdown
Soil organic matter adsorbs many pesticide molecules, reducing leaching and runoff while also supporting microbial communities that degrade pesticides.
What does a pesticide's half-life indicate?
Answer: The time it takes for half the pesticide quantity to break down in the environment
Half-life is the time required for 50% of the pesticide to degrade; longer half-lives indicate greater persistence and higher potential for environmental accumulation.