Characteristics of Pesticides

Basic concepts relating to the

names, chemistry, behavior
and fate of Pesticides
including a review of the R8
Label Book summary pages
Pesticide Names

There are three names associated with

every pesticide

Chemical name *

Common name *

Product name *

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definitions
Pesticide Names:
Chemical Name
The systematic Name of a Chemical Compound
according to the rules of nomenclature of the
International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry as adapted for indexing in
Chemical Abstracts
For example: 3,5,6-trichloro-2-
pyridinyloxyacetic acid.. is a chemical name

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Pesticide Names:
Common Name
A generic name for a chemical compound (see
the Weed Science Society of America list of
herbicide nomenclature)
For example: The common name for 3,5,6-
trichloro-2-pyridinoxyacetic acid.. is triclopyr
The common name is the name generally used
in discussing pesticidal toxicology and
environmental behavior and fate
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 Pesticide Names:
Product Name
The trade name of a pesticide; that is the name
on the container you purchase. It is also the
name to which the EPA registration number is
applied at the time of registration
Triclopyr alone is sold as: Garlon 3A or
Garlon 4
Names in the R8 Label Book
Summary Sheets
• Common names

• Brand names

• (If the chemical name is needed – see

the label not the summary sheet)
Another Caution
---Pronunciation of Names

FORAY

4-AA

PHORATE
Some quick definitions

Solution *
Suspension *
- Emulsion *
- Invert Emulsion *
Bypass
definitions
Some quick definitions

Solution
A liquid or solid chemical which is
dispersed completely (not suspended) in
water or another fluid. For our purposes this
includes water solutions and ester or other oil-
soluble chemical dissolved in oil

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Some quick definitions

Suspension
Finely divided solid particles or
liquid droplets dispersed (but not
dissolved) in another solid, a liquid or a
gas.

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Some quick definitions

Emulsion
A suspension of small droplets of an
oil-based or an ester pesticide in water

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Some quick definitions

Invert Emulsion
A suspension of small droplets of
water in an oil. Some chemicals are now
produced as invert emulsions
Some quick definitions

Invert Emulsion
Generally the formation of an invert
emulsions is undesirable. Without special
precautions during mixing and use they
commonly form resulting, in a sludge of the
approximate consistency of mayonnaise that
clogs hoses and nozzles and creates a major
problem of clean-up
Some quick definitions

Solution Suspension
Mixed –
Dissolved –Does
can
not separate
separate

Oil droplets Water droplets

in water in oil

Emulsion Invert emulsion

Types of Product Formulation
• Liquids • Solids
– Solutions – Dusts
– Emulsifiable – Granules
concentrates
– Pellets
– Ultra Low Volume
Concentrates – Soluble Powders
– Low Volume – Wettable Powders
Concentrates – Flowables
– Aerosols – Baits
– Liquified gas
Gross Classification of
Pesticides by Chemistry

• Inorganic pesticides *
• Organic pesticides *
• Biological pesticides *

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definitions
Gross Classification of
Pesticides by Chemistry

• Inorganics
– Molecules do not contain carbon
• Heavy metals – lead and arsenic
• Copper products
• Sulfur products

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Gross Classification of
Pesticides by Chemistry

• Organics
– Molecules contain carbon
• May be chains or rings

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Gross Classification of
Pesticides by Chemistry

• Biologicals
– Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and plants
– Nematodes, insects and other parasites or
predators
 Classification of Organic
Herbicides by Chemistry
• Phenoxy herbicides *
• Triazines *
• Imidazolinone *
• Sulfonylureas *

Bypass details
 Classification of Organic
Herbicides by Chemistry
• Phenoxy herbicides
– 2,4-D, 2,4-DP, 2,4,5-T
– Behaves as an auxin causing hypertrophy
– Sample structure

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 Classification of Organic
Herbicides by Chemistry
• Triazines
– Hexazinone
– Have extreme soil
mobility
– Structure

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 Classification of Organic
Herbicides by Chemistry
• Imidazolinone
– Imazapyr
– Structure

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 Classification of Organic
Herbicides by Chemistry
• Sulfonylureas
– Metsulfuron & sulfometuron methyl
– Sample structure
Classification of Organic
Insecticides by Chemistry

• Chlorinated hydrocarbons *
• Organophosphates *
• Carbamates *

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definitions
Classification of Organic
Insecticides by Chemistry

• Chlorinated hydrocarbons
– Dieldrin, aldrin, DDT, mirex, chlordane
– Sample structure

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Classification of Organic
Insecticides by Chemistry

• Organophosphates
– Malathion, azinphos-methyl, naled
– Sample structure

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Classification of Organic
Insecticides by Chemistry

• Carbamates
– Carbaryl (Sevin)
– Structure
2 Basic Chemical Groups for
Herbicides

Amines *

Esters *

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details
 Amine
General Characteristics

• Organic salt
• Water soluble
• Low volatility
• Low in its toxicity to fish
• Used for injection & cut-surface
treatments
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 Esters
(General Characteristics)

• Oil based
• Oil soluble / can be emulsified in
water
• Generally highly volatile
• Highly toxic to fish
• Used for bark & foliar applications
 Amine Ester

• Organic salt • Oil based

 Water soluble  Oil soluble or can be

emulsified in water

 Low volatility  High volatility

 Low toxicity for fish  High toxicity for fish

 Injection & cut-surface  Bark or foliar

treatments applications
LD50s of field formulations

Triclopyr – LD50 630 mg/kg

Garlon 4 --LD50 1,419 mg/kg

LD50s of field formulations

Garlon 4 --LD50 1,419 mg/kg

Streamline uses a 17%

solution of Garlon 4 => 1,419
/ 0.17 = 8,347 mg/kg

Foliar spray is normally done

as a 3% solution => 1,419 /
0.03 = 47,300 mg/kg
 Environmental behavior:
Several categories of environmental
behavior are included in the summaries
which precede each chemical presented
in the Region-8 Label Book
Information includes:
• Mode of action • Toxicity to humans and
• Selectivity wildlife
• Soil activity and mobility • Application timing
• Persistence and • Weaknesses or
breakdown limitations
The following slides discuss these and
several other properties of pesticides in
general

Discussion in the “R-8 Label Book”

section (later this week) presents
chemical specific information
 Mode of Action:
Herbicides
• Movement in the plant
– Contact *
– Translocated *
• Action in the plant
– Inhibit protein synthesis, photosynthesis, or growth

Bypass
definitions
Mode of Action:
Contact Herbicide
One which causes injury to only the plant
tissue to which it is applied, or one which is
not appreciably translocated within a plant

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Mode of Action:
Translocated Herbicide
One which is moved within a plant from the
point of application to the point of action;
may be either phloem-mobile or xylem-
mobile
The term is often misapplied to include only
foliar applied herbicides which move
downward from the leaves to the roots

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 Mode of Action: Animal
Poisons (incl. Insecticides)

Contact poison *
Systemic poison *

Attractants *
 Pheromones
 Baits

Repellants * Bypass
definitions
 Mode of Action:
Contact Insecticide

Pesticide which causes injury or death of

insect through the touch rather than
through inhalation or ingestion

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Mode of Action:
Systemic Insecticide

Pesticide which is moved within a plant

from the point of application to the
point where the insect will contact
or ingest it

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Mode of Action:
Attractants
Pesticide which lures animals to a predetermined spot
– Pheromones are biochemicals either released by
the animal or synthesized which are sex attractants
– Baits are chemicals which entice animals for
reasons other than sex (smells like food)

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Mode of Action:
Repellants
Pesticide which discourages animals from coming to a specific area
– Many chemicals unrelated to sexual activity (due to smell or
other physical characteristic) are repellant to animals
– Pheromones in low concentration are attractive to animals but,
often, in high concentration become repellant
Mode of Action:
Life Stage Affected
Ovicide *

Larvicide *

Adulticide *

Bypass
Definitions
Mode of Action:
Life Stage Affected

Ovicide

– Kills eggs

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Mode of Action:
Life Stage Affected

Larvicide

– Kills larval stage (immature) insects

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Mode of Action:
Life Stage Affected

Adulticide

– Kills adult insects

Mode of Action:
Selectivity
• Many products express a degree of selectivity
– Extremely variable from product to product
– Biologicals often more selective than chemicals
• Despite claims, selectivity is generally limited
– Often based on rate
• Many newer products are more selective
• Application method also influences selectivity
 Soil Activity

Soil Active Herbicide: applied to or

present in the soil, these chemicals are
readily absorbed by plant roots and
subsequently negatively affects the
plant in some manner
 Soil Activity

Non Soil Active Herbicide: applied to or

present in the soil, these chemicals are
bound to soil particles or organic matter
and are essentially unavailable to affect
plants
Soil Mobility

• A major contributor to offsite movement

• Leaching vs. lateral movement
• Affected by the soil’s
– Sand content
– Clay content
– Organic matter content
• Affects chemical half-life but not the
degradation
Persistence and Degradation
• Persistence – The resistance of a herbicide
to metabolic or environmental degradation or
removal; a measure of the duration of
retention of activity by a pesticide in the
environment
 Degradation – The breakdown of a
substance into simpler molecular or atomic
components through chemical reaction(s)
either in a plant or animal (metabolic
degradation) or in the environment
(environmental degradation)
Persistence/Degradation:
Process Drivers
• Temperature
• Relative humidity / Rainfall
• pH
• Insolation
• Soil or water biota
– Macrophytes
– Microbial populations
– Worms and microfauna
Persistence and Degradation:
Half-Life
The time required for half the amount of a
substance (such as a herbicide) present in or
introduced into a system (living or ecological)
to be eliminated, whether by excretion,
metabolic degradation, off-site transport, or
other natural process
Toxicity to Humans and
Wildlife
• Varies by chemical
• Based on the target biochemistry of the
product
• Much more later in this session
Primary Forestry Uses

• Discussion of silvicultural and other uses

• And, of methods of application

• Appropriate for the formulation(s) of the

pesticide available for use

• Much more later

Application timing

• Product specific
• May also relate to formulation
• Gives a measure of selectivity
• Discussed for each pesticide and
formulation
• Summarized in the Label Book in a
comparative table for all herbicides
Weaknesses and Limitations

• Repeats environmental concerns

• Toxicological/health concerns
• Lists formulation specific concerns such
as flammability
• Lists use restrictions
Environmental behavior:

More thoughts not in specific categories

in the label book
Off-site movement

Lots of
differing
processes
involved
Pesticide Movement &
Degrade
• Runoff *
• Leaching *
• Degradation
– Microbial *
– Physical
– Hydrolysis *
– Photolysis *

– Pyrolysis *

• Volatilization *
Bypass
definitions
Pesticide Movement &
Degrade
• Runoff
– movement of pesticide aboveground in water –
generally occurs downslope but can also occur on
flat or even slightly uphill ground after a flloding rain

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade

• Leaching
– Also called percolation – the process whereby pesticide is moved
down through the soil profile

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade
• Microbial Degradation
– Breakdown of pesticides by fungi, bacteria and other microscopic
organisms

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade
• Physical Degradation
– Hydrolysis -- Breakdown of a pesticide
by water

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade

• Physical Degradation
– Photolysis – breakdown of a pesticide by sun
or other light

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade

• Physical Degradation
– Pyrolysis – the breakdown
of a pesticide by heat or fire

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Pesticide Movement &
Degrade
• Volatilization – evaporation of a heated
pesticide
Breakdown generalizations

• Hotter temperature = faster breakdown

• Higher relative humidity = faster
breakdown
• More microbes = faster breakdown
• pH effect = chemical dependant
• More slope = more runoff
Off-site movement
generalizations
• More clay and organics = less leaching
• Higher temperature = more volatilization
• Lower relative humidity = more volatilization
• Higher wind speed = more volatilization and
drift
• Nearer to moving water = higher probability of
contamination and off-site movement
• Finer droplets = more movement