MASSACHUSETTS PESTICIDE APPLICATOR
CORE EXIT FINAL EXAM WITH COMPETENT
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Chronic health effect - ANSWER>>Problems that develop over a relatively long period of time,
following either one significant exposure that initiates a problem, or following a series of
small exposures which accumulate in some manner and result in a development of a disease
or disorder
acute toxicity - ANSWER>>Poisoning from a single dose over a much shorter duration of time
How soon do health effects occur from accrue toxicity? - ANSWER>>Within 24 hours of
exposure
Chronic health risk problems (major examples) - ANSWER>>Mutagenicity, oncogenicity,
carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, neurotoxicity
Mutagenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance or agent to cause mutations to genes or
chromosomes
Changes from mutagenicity are... - ANSWER>>Almost always harmful
Tests to detect mutagenicity - ANSWER>>Varied. Tests on cells to tests on whole animals
It's believed that chemicals that cause mutations are more likely to be ones that can also
cause... - ANSWER>>Cancers
Why is mutation testing used as a first screen for new compounds? - ANSWER>>Faster and
cheaper than animal lifetime testing
Oncogenicity - ANSWER>>The ability of a chemical to cause abnormal growths or tumors in
tissues
Carcinogenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance or agent to cause malignant tumors
,How do they test chemicals for their ability to cause tumors - ANSWER>>Administering daily
doses to animals for their entire lifetime and then dissecting them to detect presence of
tumors in the animals tissues
A rodent carcinogenicity study takes how long typically? - ANSWER>>2-3 years
Pesticide companies are required to submit test data on oncogenicity from.... -
ANSWER>>Several animal species
There are currently how many pesticide active ingredients considered known, likely, or
probable carcinogens - ANSWER>>Over 70
MDAR - ANSWER>>Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Act to protect children and families from harmful pesticides - ANSWER>>Passed in 2000.
Pesticide products that contain carcinogens may not be used in or around schools, daycares,
or after school programs
Teratogenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance to cause abnormal growth or deformity in
developing fetuses (birth defects)
How is teratogenicity tested - ANSWER>>Administering doses of chemical to female test
animals at various stages of pregnancies and observing number of miscarriages and defective
offspring verses what would normally be expected
Examples of animals used to test teratogenicity - ANSWER>>Rodents, rabbits, dogs, monkeys
Effects of chemicals are usually considered significant for teratogenicity if... - ANSWER>>They
occur at doses not toxic by themselves to the mother
Testing for teratogenicity is standard part of pesticide registration although ___________
May exist for older chemicals - ANSWER>>Data gaps
Neurotoxicity - ANSWER>>Gradual damage to basic nerve structure. Does not refer to
reversible effects
Test animal for neurotoxicity - ANSWER>>Chicken
,Hepatoxicity - ANSWER>>Damage to liver
Nephrotoxicity - ANSWER>>damage to the kidneys
Immunotoxicity - ANSWER>>Compromise immune system
Fetotoxicity - ANSWER>>Direct toxic injury or death of fetus
Hemotoxic effects - ANSWER>>Blood disorders
Cholinesterases - ANSWER>>Enzymes found in humans, insects, and other species that are
necessary for normal function of the nervous system
What kind of insecticides can block or inhibit cholinesterases - ANSWER>>Organophosphates,
carbamates
How much exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides does it take to make you feel sick -
ANSWER>>Depends on type of product, potency of active ingredient, amount of exposure,
whether you're handling concentrated or diluted mixture
Effects of exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides - ANSWER>>May range from no
observable effects to severe illnesses or symptoms requiring hospitalization. Severe
poisoning can lead to coma or death
When do symptoms occur after exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides -
ANSWER>>Anywhere from time of exposure to 12 hours
Symptoms of acute poisoning from cholinesterase blocking pesticides - ANSWER>>Nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, tightness in chest, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, cramps,
restlessness, headache, confusion
Poisoning from organophosphates or carbamates can resemble... - ANSWER>>Drunkenness,
head cold, flu
Why monitor cholinesterase levels - ANSWER>>To establish a baseline for normal activity and
be alerted to any drop in enzyme levels before they reach values low enough to make you
, sick. Changes can be detected in absence of symptoms. Workers can be removed from
exposure before symptoms occur
Natural recovery from cholinesterase blocking pesticides exposure normally occurs... -
ANSWER>>When exposure stops
Who should have their cholinesterase levels monitored? - ANSWER>>People who regularly
use organophosphates and carbamates
What should you do if you are inadvertently exposed to cholinesterase blocking pesticides -
ANSWER>>Remove contaminated clothing. Wash area well with soap and water. Contact
physician immediately
How can pesticide exposure effect honey bees - ANSWER>>Disorientation that can effect how
well a bee can navigate, forage for food, and return to colony safely
What are the main contributing factors leading to bee poisoning problems -
ANSWER>>Bloom, toxicity of the pesticide to bees, residual action, formulation, drift of
chemical, timing, temperature, strength of colony, distance from treated fields
bloom - ANSWER>>Contamination of blooming plants with insecticides
It is not recommended to do insecticide application during ____________ and many are
prohibited on the label - ANSWER>>Blooming period
Avoid spraying __________ that are growing in orchards or in fallow areas adjacent to crops -
ANSWER>>Blooming weeds
In landscape and lawn settings avoid applying insecticides ______________ -
ANSWER>>When flowering ground cover is in bloom
Tree spray work must not be done ___________ - ANSWER>>To ornamentals such as
flowering crabapples when they are in bloom
Shade trees must not be sprayed ___________ - ANSWER>>When they are in bloom or pollen
shed
CORE EXIT FINAL EXAM WITH COMPETENT
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Chronic health effect - ANSWER>>Problems that develop over a relatively long period of time,
following either one significant exposure that initiates a problem, or following a series of
small exposures which accumulate in some manner and result in a development of a disease
or disorder
acute toxicity - ANSWER>>Poisoning from a single dose over a much shorter duration of time
How soon do health effects occur from accrue toxicity? - ANSWER>>Within 24 hours of
exposure
Chronic health risk problems (major examples) - ANSWER>>Mutagenicity, oncogenicity,
carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, neurotoxicity
Mutagenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance or agent to cause mutations to genes or
chromosomes
Changes from mutagenicity are... - ANSWER>>Almost always harmful
Tests to detect mutagenicity - ANSWER>>Varied. Tests on cells to tests on whole animals
It's believed that chemicals that cause mutations are more likely to be ones that can also
cause... - ANSWER>>Cancers
Why is mutation testing used as a first screen for new compounds? - ANSWER>>Faster and
cheaper than animal lifetime testing
Oncogenicity - ANSWER>>The ability of a chemical to cause abnormal growths or tumors in
tissues
Carcinogenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance or agent to cause malignant tumors
,How do they test chemicals for their ability to cause tumors - ANSWER>>Administering daily
doses to animals for their entire lifetime and then dissecting them to detect presence of
tumors in the animals tissues
A rodent carcinogenicity study takes how long typically? - ANSWER>>2-3 years
Pesticide companies are required to submit test data on oncogenicity from.... -
ANSWER>>Several animal species
There are currently how many pesticide active ingredients considered known, likely, or
probable carcinogens - ANSWER>>Over 70
MDAR - ANSWER>>Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Act to protect children and families from harmful pesticides - ANSWER>>Passed in 2000.
Pesticide products that contain carcinogens may not be used in or around schools, daycares,
or after school programs
Teratogenicity - ANSWER>>Ability of a substance to cause abnormal growth or deformity in
developing fetuses (birth defects)
How is teratogenicity tested - ANSWER>>Administering doses of chemical to female test
animals at various stages of pregnancies and observing number of miscarriages and defective
offspring verses what would normally be expected
Examples of animals used to test teratogenicity - ANSWER>>Rodents, rabbits, dogs, monkeys
Effects of chemicals are usually considered significant for teratogenicity if... - ANSWER>>They
occur at doses not toxic by themselves to the mother
Testing for teratogenicity is standard part of pesticide registration although ___________
May exist for older chemicals - ANSWER>>Data gaps
Neurotoxicity - ANSWER>>Gradual damage to basic nerve structure. Does not refer to
reversible effects
Test animal for neurotoxicity - ANSWER>>Chicken
,Hepatoxicity - ANSWER>>Damage to liver
Nephrotoxicity - ANSWER>>damage to the kidneys
Immunotoxicity - ANSWER>>Compromise immune system
Fetotoxicity - ANSWER>>Direct toxic injury or death of fetus
Hemotoxic effects - ANSWER>>Blood disorders
Cholinesterases - ANSWER>>Enzymes found in humans, insects, and other species that are
necessary for normal function of the nervous system
What kind of insecticides can block or inhibit cholinesterases - ANSWER>>Organophosphates,
carbamates
How much exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides does it take to make you feel sick -
ANSWER>>Depends on type of product, potency of active ingredient, amount of exposure,
whether you're handling concentrated or diluted mixture
Effects of exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides - ANSWER>>May range from no
observable effects to severe illnesses or symptoms requiring hospitalization. Severe
poisoning can lead to coma or death
When do symptoms occur after exposure to cholinesterase blocking pesticides -
ANSWER>>Anywhere from time of exposure to 12 hours
Symptoms of acute poisoning from cholinesterase blocking pesticides - ANSWER>>Nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, tightness in chest, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, cramps,
restlessness, headache, confusion
Poisoning from organophosphates or carbamates can resemble... - ANSWER>>Drunkenness,
head cold, flu
Why monitor cholinesterase levels - ANSWER>>To establish a baseline for normal activity and
be alerted to any drop in enzyme levels before they reach values low enough to make you
, sick. Changes can be detected in absence of symptoms. Workers can be removed from
exposure before symptoms occur
Natural recovery from cholinesterase blocking pesticides exposure normally occurs... -
ANSWER>>When exposure stops
Who should have their cholinesterase levels monitored? - ANSWER>>People who regularly
use organophosphates and carbamates
What should you do if you are inadvertently exposed to cholinesterase blocking pesticides -
ANSWER>>Remove contaminated clothing. Wash area well with soap and water. Contact
physician immediately
How can pesticide exposure effect honey bees - ANSWER>>Disorientation that can effect how
well a bee can navigate, forage for food, and return to colony safely
What are the main contributing factors leading to bee poisoning problems -
ANSWER>>Bloom, toxicity of the pesticide to bees, residual action, formulation, drift of
chemical, timing, temperature, strength of colony, distance from treated fields
bloom - ANSWER>>Contamination of blooming plants with insecticides
It is not recommended to do insecticide application during ____________ and many are
prohibited on the label - ANSWER>>Blooming period
Avoid spraying __________ that are growing in orchards or in fallow areas adjacent to crops -
ANSWER>>Blooming weeds
In landscape and lawn settings avoid applying insecticides ______________ -
ANSWER>>When flowering ground cover is in bloom
Tree spray work must not be done ___________ - ANSWER>>To ornamentals such as
flowering crabapples when they are in bloom
Shade trees must not be sprayed ___________ - ANSWER>>When they are in bloom or pollen
shed
