CPA Pesticide Safety & Handling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When mixing two pesticide products, which action should be performed first?
- Add both products simultaneously
- Fill the tank half full with water before adding pesticides (Correct answer)
- Add the concentrated pesticide directly to an empty tank
- Mix the two concentrates together before adding water
Correct answer: Fill the tank half full with water before adding pesticides
Filling the tank partially with water first prevents dangerous concentrate-to-concentrate reactions and ensures safer dilution.
Question 2: A pesticide label states 'Do not apply within 25 feet of water.' This instruction refers to:
- Only natural streams and rivers
- Only municipal water supplies
- Any body of water including ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands (Correct answer)
- Only water used for irrigation
Correct answer: Any body of water including ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands
Buffer zone restrictions on labels apply to all water bodies unless the label specifically limits the restriction.
Question 3: Which type of pesticide formulation poses the GREATEST inhalation hazard during mixing and loading?
- Granules
- Wettable powders (Correct answer)
- Emulsifiable concentrates
- Ready-to-use liquids
Correct answer: Wettable powders
Wettable powders generate fine dust particles that can easily become airborne and inhaled during handling.
Question 4: What does a signal word of 'DANGER' on a pesticide label indicate?
- The product is slightly toxic (Category IV)
- The product is moderately toxic (Category III)
- The product is highly toxic (Category I) (Correct answer)
- The product is extremely toxic (Category II)
Correct answer: The product is highly toxic (Category I)
'DANGER' is the signal word for Category I pesticides, the most acutely toxic classification.
Question 5: Pesticide-contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) should be laundered:
- Together with regular household clothing to save water
- Separately from household clothing and the washer run empty afterward (Correct answer)
- Only when visibly soiled
- No more than once per week
Correct answer: Separately from household clothing and the washer run empty afterward
Washing contaminated PPE separately prevents cross-contamination of regular clothes and the empty-cycle removes residue from the machine.
Question 6: An applicator notices a punctured pesticide container leaking in the storage area. The FIRST step should be to:
- Call the manufacturer immediately
- Move the container outdoors and then notify the supervisor
- Put on appropriate PPE before handling the container (Correct answer)
- Absorb the spill with paper towels bare-handed
Correct answer: Put on appropriate PPE before handling the container
Personal protection must come first — donning appropriate PPE before approaching a leaking container prevents exposure.
Question 7: The 're-entry interval' (REI) listed on a pesticide label specifies:
- When a field may be replanted after application
- The minimum time workers must stay out of treated areas after application (Correct answer)
- The number of days before harvest the product can be applied
- The time required for the pesticide to degrade in soil
Correct answer: The minimum time workers must stay out of treated areas after application
The REI is the minimum time workers must wait before entering a treated area without required PPE.
CPA Pesticide Safety & Handling 2
When mixing two pesticide products, which action should be performed first?