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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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-2pyridinyloxyacetic 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 3,5,6trichloro-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 oilsoluble 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 oilbased 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
Dissolved Does not separate

Suspension
Mixed can separate

Oil droplets in water

Water droplets in oil

Emulsion

Invert emulsion

Types of Product Formulation

Liquids
Solutions Emulsifiable concentrates Ultra Low Volume Concentrates Low Volume Concentrates Aerosols Liquified gas

Solids
Dusts Granules Pellets Soluble Powders Wettable Powders Flowables Baits

Gross Classification of Pesticides by Chemistry

Inorganic pesticides * Organic pesticides * Biological pesticides *

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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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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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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
Organic salt

Ester
Oil based

Water soluble

Oil soluble or can be emulsified in water High volatility

Low volatility

Low toxicity for fish

Injection & cut-surface treatments

High toxicity for fish

Bark or foliar 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:
Toxicity to humans and Mode of action wildlife Selectivity Soil activity and mobility Application timing Weaknesses or Persistence and limitations breakdown

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 xylemmobile 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 soils
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 *

* Volatilization *
Pyrolysis
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