National Pesticide Applicators Certification Core Exam with complete solutions

Active Ingredient - Answer- the chemical or chemicals in a product responsible for pesticidal activity Activator - Answer- An adjuvant added to a pesticide to increase its toxicity Abiotic Factors - Answer- related to nonliving elements, such as air pollutants, wind, water, and temperature Absorption - Answer- the movement of a chemical into plants, animals, microorganisms, or soil Acaricide - Answer- A pesticide used to control mites and ticks. A miticide is a type of acaricide Acidic - Answer- Having a pH less than 7 Action Threshold - Answer- a predetermined level of pest infestation or damage at which some type of pest management action must be taken Activated Charcoal - Answer- a finely ground charcoal that adsorbs chemicals Acute Effects - Answer- Illnesses or injuries that occur shortly (within 24hours) after exposure to a pesticide Acute Exposure - Answer- an exposure to a single dose of pesticide Acute Toxicity - Answer- An injury or illness produced from a single pesticide exposure. Adjuvant - Answer- a substance added to a pesticide to improve its effectiveness or safety Adsorption - Answer- the process whereby chemicals are held or bound to a surface by physical or chemical attraction Clay and high-organic soils tend to adsorb pesticides Adulterated Pesticide - Answer- a pest control product that does not conform to the specified standard or quality documented on its label or labeling Advisory statements - Answer- manufacturer recommendations or best management practices for optimal use of a pesticide product. Aerosol - Answer- a chemical stored in a container under pressure. An extremely fine mist is produced when the material, dissolved in a liquid, is released into the air Agitation System - Answer- A device that stirs or mixes a pesticide product in a sprayer Air-blast sprayer - Answer- a type of pesticide application equipment that uses a large volume of air moving at high speed to break up and disperse spray droplets from the nozzle Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) - Answer- a safety device that uses filters or sorbents to remove hazardous substances, including pesticides, from the air Algae - Answer- relatively simple plants that are photosynthetic and contain chlorophyll Algaecide - Answer- a pesticide used to kill or inhibit algae Alkaline - Answer- having a pH greater than 7 (also called basic) Allergic Effects/Allergy - Answer- a hypersensitivity to a specific substance, often called the allergen. Animal systemics - Answer- pesticide products that are absorbed by, enter the tissues of, and, move within the treated animal Annual - Answer- a plant that completes its life cycle in one year Antagonism - Answer- the reduction of pesticide activity when two or more different pesticides are mixed together Antibiotic - Answer- chemical produced by a microorganism that is toxic to other microorganisms Anticoagulant - Answer- a chemical that prevents normal blood clotting Antidote - Answer- a practical treatment used to counteract the effects of pesticide poisoning or some other poison in the body Anti-Siphoning Device - Answer- a hose attachment designed to prevent backflow of a pesticide mix from the spray tank into a water source Application Rate - Answer- the amount of pesticide that is applied to a known area, such as an acre or 1,000 square feet or linear feet Aquifer - Answer- a geological formation from which groundwater may be drawn. Can be a layer of sand, gravel, or other soil materials or a section of bedrock with fractures through which water can flow Arachnid - Answer- a wingless arthropod with two body regions and four pairs of jointed legs. Spiders, ticks, and mites Arthropod - Answer- an invertebrate animal characterized by a jointed body and limbs and usually a hard body covering that is molted at intervals. Insects, mites, and crayfish Atmosphere-Supplying Respirator - Answer- a safety device that provides a supply of breathable air from a clean, independent outside source Atropine - Answer- an antidote used to treat organophosphate and carbamate poisoning Attractant - Answer- a substance or device used to lure insects or other pests to a trap or poison bait Avicide - Answer- A chemical used to kill or repel birds Back-Siphoning - Answer- the movement of a liquid pesticide mixture from a spray tank through the filling hose into the water source Bacteria - Answer- microscopic organisms, some of which can produce diseases in plants and animals Bactericide - Answer- A chemical used to control bacteria Bait - Answer- a food or other substance used to attract a pest to a pesticide or a trap Band Application - Answer- a pesticide or other material applied in or beside a crop row instead of over the entire field Basal Application - Answer- an herbicide applied to plant stems or trunks at or just above the ground line Beneficial - Answer- an insect that is useful or helpful to humans Biennial - Answer- a plant that completes its life cycle in two years Bioaccumulation - Answer- the ability of organisms to accumulate or store chemicals in their tissues Biological Control - Answer- pest management using predators, parasites, and disease-causing organisms Biological Degradation - Answer- the breakdown of chemicals due to the activity of living organisms, specially bacteria and fungi in the soil Biomagnification - Answer- the process whereby some organisms accumulate chemical residues in higher concentrations that those found in the organisms they consume Biopesticide - Answer- a pest control product derived from naturally occurring materials Boom - Answer- a pesticide application device attached to a truck, tractor, aircraft, or other vehicle to which multiple spray nozzles are attached Botanical Pesticide - Answer- a pest control product produced from naturally occurring chemicals in plants. ex: nicotine, pyrethrum, and rottenone Brand Name - Answer- the registered or trade name, number, or designation given to a specific pesticide product or device by the manufacturer or firmulator Breakthrough - Answer- the penetration of pesticide through PPE, such as a liquid through gloves or gas through a respirator Broadcast Application - Answer- a pesticide or other material uniformly applied over an entire field or area Broadleaves (Dicots) - Answer- plants with broad, rounded, or flattened leaves with netted veins. Broad-Spectrum Pesticide - Answer- a pest control product that is effective against a wide range of pests Buffers - Answer- Adjuvants used to slow chemical degradation of some pesticides by lowering the pH of alkaline water and maintaining the pH within a narrow range, even with the addition of acidic or alkaline materials Calibrate/Calibration - Answer- to properly adjust equipment; to determine the correct amount of material to be applied to the target area Carbamates - Answer- a group of pesticides commonly used to control insects, mites, fungi, and weeds. Carcinogen - Answer- a substance or agent able to produce malignant tumors (cancer) Carrier - Answer- an inert liquid, solid, or gas added to an active ingredient to make a pesticide formulation Causal Organism - Answer- the pathogen that produces a given disease Caution - Answer- the signal work associated with pesticide products classified as slightly toxic Certified Applicator - Answer- a person qualified to apply or supervise the application of restricted-use pesticides Chemical Cartridge/Chemical Canister - Answer- for air-purifying respirators, the type of purifying element that removes specific gases or vapors by absorbing or absorbing them Chemical Degradation - Answer- the breakdown of chemicals that do not involve living organisms, usually by a chemical reaction with water Chemical Name - Answer- the technical term for the active ingredient(s) found in the formulated product. This complex name is derived from the chemical structure of the active ingredient. Chemical Incompatibility - Answer- what occurs when mixing certain pesticides in a spray tank alters the activity of one or more of them Chemical-Resistant PPE - Answer- when specified by the pesticide label, a legal definition that the PPE "shall be made of material that allows no measurable movement of the pesticide being used through the material during use" Chemigation - Answer- the application of pesticides or fertilizers to a target site in irrigation water. Also known as injector systems when used in a greenhouse Chemosterilant - Answer- a chemical used to sterilize insects or pest vertebrates without altering mating habits or life expectancy Chemtrec - Answer- the chemical transportation emergency center Chlorinated Hydrocarbon(Organochloride) - Answer- a pesticide containing chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen. Many are persistent in the environment. ex: chlordane, DDT, and methoxychlor Chlorosis - Answer- the yellowing of a plant's normally green tissue Cholinesterase - Answer- a chemical catalyst(enzyme) found in humans and many other animals that regulates the activity of nerve impulses by deactivating the chemical neurotransmitter acetylcholine Chronic Toxicity - Answer- the ability of small amounts of pesticide from repeated, prolonged exposure to cause injury Commercial Applicator - Answer- a certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a private applicator certification Common Name - Answer- a name given to a pesticide active ingredient by a recognized committee on pesticide nomenclature. Compatibility Agent - Answer- an adjuvant used to enhance the mixing of two or more pesticide products and/or fertilizers Compatible - Answer- a mixture of two or more chemicals that does not reduce the effectiveness or characteristics of any individual chemical Concentration - Answer- the amount of active ingredient in a given volume or weight of formulated product Contact (Local) Effects - Answer- injury at the point of contact, including skin discoloration and irritation, such as itching, redness, rashes, blisters, and burns. Contact pesticide - Answer- any pest control product that affects pest organisms upon contact. These may be insecticides, miticides, fungicides, or herbicides Containment Pad - Answer- an impermeable mat used for mixing and loading pesticides and cleaning equipment that is designed to catch spills, leaks, overflows, and wash water for reuse or disposal Contamination - Answer- the presence of an unwanted substance in or on plant, animal, soil, water, air, or structure Corrosive Poison - Answer- a substance containing a strong acid or base that will severely burn the skin, mouth, stomach, or respiratory tract Crack-And-Crevice Application - Answer- small amounts of pesticide placed into cracks and crevices in buildings Cross-Contamination - Answer- the accidental mixing of one pesticide with another, usually in an improperly cleaned sprayer or in storage because of the airborne movement of a volatile pesticide. Cross-Resistance - Answer- when a pest population that is already resistant to one pesticide becomes resistant to a related chemical with a similar mode of action Curative Pesticide - Answer- a pest control product that can inhibit or kill a disease-causing organism after it is established in the plant or animal Danger - Answer- the signal word associated with pesticide products classified as highly toxic by at least one route of entry Danger-Poison - Answer- the signal word associated with pesticide products classified as highly toxic, corrosive, or highly irritating to skin and eyes Days To Harvest - Answer- the minimum number of days permitted by law between the last pesticide application and the harvest date of the crop Days to Slaughter - Answer- the minimum number of days permitted by law between the last pesticide application and the date the food animal is slaughtered Decontaminate - Answer- to remove or degrade a chemical residue from the skin or a surface Defoaming Agent - Answer- an adjuvant used to reduce the foaming of a spray mixture due to agitation Defoliant - Answer- a chemical that initiates the premature drop of leaves, often as an aid in harvesting a crop Degradation - Answer- the process by which a chemical compound is broken down into simpler compounds by the action of microorganisms, water, air, sunlight, or other agents