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Email: tgarner@pdsolutions.ca ☰

As information moves more easily in todays society with internet, newspapers, television, etc. many people believe cancer rates in humans are on the rise regardless of the type or cancer. This web cast seminar looks at the safety of pesticides and their impact on the human health. The basics of pesticides will be examined and compared to other substances we consume or use everyday. Also discussed are ways an applicator can reduce exposure to pesticides.

The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) is a prospective study of cancer and other health outcomes in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina. The AHS began in 1993 with the goal of answering important questions about how agricultural, lifestyle and genetic factors affect the health of farmers and commercial applicators. The study is a collaborative effort involving investigators from National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) - Cancer Risks is a prospective study of cancer in a cohort of 89,000 licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina. The AHS began in 1993 and continues with ongoing studies with the goal of answering important questions about how agricultural lifestyle and genetic factors affect the risk of cancer among farmers and commercial applicators. The study is a collaborative effort involving investigators from National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) - Non-cancer Health Risks is a prospective study of health effects (e.g. diabetes, asthma, kidney and hear disease etc.) in a cohort of 89,000 licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina. The AHS began in 1993 and continues with ongoing studies with the goal of answering important questions about how agricultural lifestyle and genetic factors affect the health of farmers and commercial applicators. The study is a collaborative effort involving investigators from National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Alberta Environment and Parks will be updating the Pesticide (Ministerial) Regulation, the Pesticide Sales, Handling, Use and Application Regulation and the Environmental Code of Practise for Pesticides in 2016. Most changes are minor in nature, however because of changing label statements (ie. users must be certified), changing record keeping and transportation requirements, some changes will result in significant changes to pesticide applicators, assistants, vendors etc. In addition, the Code is being updated to allow more applications near water providing the new Code provisions are met.

This module will provide an overview of IPM, discuss the botanical characteristics of these 3 weeds, their method of spread, their economic impact and the application of IPM techniques and strategies to control these 3 noxious weeds in agricultural, industrial and urban environments.

Small sprayers need to be calibrated too. Many misapplications have been made with small sprayers as anyone can purchase these sprayers and most people do not know how to calibrate them properly. Join Tim as he shows you his approach on how to calibrate these sprayers so your pesticide application can be done accurately and safely.

Nozzle manufacturers over the last few years have really stepped up to the plate when it comes to developing drift reducing nozzles. As pesticide applicators, we are always concerned about spray drift to off target locations, thus many applicators have chosen drift reduction nozzles to reduce the potential for spray drift. Unfortunately spray coverage may not be adequate for some pesticides with drift reduction nozzles and the pesticide may not be doing as good a job as we have hoped for. Join Tim as he looks at the topic of balancing spray drift vs. spray coverage.

The Presentations examine incidents that occurred resulting in significant human and animal health, environmental (eg. bee kills), property damage issues that could have been eliminated if the applicator had undertaken to provide notification to adjacent landowners and bystanders. Notification can be as simple as a 5minute call, an email with a factsheet on spraying etc. to ensure neighbors are aware that spraying is going to occur and to provide some simple steps they can take to eliminate an incident should drift or off-site movement of the pesticide occur.