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# Spray Drift of Pesticides

##### Resources 

      - Questions On Pesticides?   National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)   1-800-858-7378        

**Current as of:** December 1999**EPA:**735F99024

The drift of spray from pesticide applications can expose people, wildlife,         and the environment to pesticide residues that can cause health and environmental         effects and property damage. For these reasons and because the Environmental         Protection Agency's (EPA), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is responsible         for regulating the use of pesticides in the United States. OPP has been         actively engaged in a number of initiatives to help prevent such problems.         These initiatives include broadening our understanding of the science         and predictability of spray drift based on many new studies, helping pesticide         applicators to reduce spray drift by improving product label use directions,         and promoting education and training programs on spray drift for applicators.         These initiatives are consistent with the Agency's mission of protecting         human health and the environment from potential adverse effects of pesticides.         When we complete our decisions on how we intend to use the new studies         for our regulatory decisions and on the new wording for product labels,         we plan to issue a draft Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice for public         comment before making and implementing final decisions. This "Questions         & Answers" publication provides the Agency's position on spray drift         issues and a summary of responsibilities and activities of the Environmental         Protection Agency and others. 

**On This Page**
- What Is Pesticide Spray Drift?
- How Does Spray Drift Occur?
- What are the Impacts of Spray Drift?
- How Does EPA View Off-Target Spray Drift?
- How Does EPA Help Protect People and the Environment from Off-Target Spray Drift?
- Other Activities That Promote Awareness and Education of Spray Drift Issues
- Where to Direct Complaints About Spray Drift
- For Further Information
What Is Pesticide Spray Drift?
EPA defines pesticide spray drift as the physical movement of a pesticide         through air at the time of application or soon thereafter, to any site         other than that intended for application (often referred to as off target).         EPA does not include in its definition the movement of pesticides to off-target         sites caused by erosion, migration, volatility, or contaminated soil particles         that are windblown after application, unless specifically addressed on         a pesticide product label with respect to drift-control requirements.

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How Does Spray Drift Occur?
When pesticide solutions are sprayed by ground spray equipment or aircraft,         droplets are produced by the nozzles of the equipment. Many of these droplets         can be so small that they stay suspended in air and are carried by air         currents until they contact a surface or drop to the ground. A number         of factors influence drift, including weather conditions, topography,         the crop or area being sprayed, application equipment and methods, and         decisions by the applicator.

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What Are the Impacts of Spray Drift?
Off-target spray can affect human health and the environment. For example,         spray drift can result in pesticide exposures to farmworkers, children         playing outside, and wildlife and its habitat. Drift can also contaminate         a home garden or another farmer's crops, causing illegal pesticide residues         and/or plant damage. The proximity of individuals and sensitive sites         to the pesticide application, the amounts of pesticide drift, and toxicity         of the pesticide are important factors in determining the potential impacts         from drift. 

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How Does EPA View Off-Target Spray Drift?
EPA recognizes the importance of exposures to pesticides resulting from         spray drift. There are thousands of reported complaints of off-target         spray drift each year. Reports of exposures of people, plants, and animals         to pesticides due to off-target drift (often referred to as "drift         incidents") are an important component in the scientific evaluation         and regulation of the uses of pesticides. Other routes of pesticide exposure         include consuming foods and drinking water which may contain pesticide         residues, applying pesticides, and contacting treated surfaces in agricultural,         industrial, or residential settings. EPA considers all of these routes         of exposure in regulating the use of pesticides.

When labels of pesticide products state that off-target drift is to be         avoided or prohibited, our policy is straightforward: pesticide drift         from the target site is to be prevented. However, we recognize that some         degree of drift of spray particles will occur from nearly all applications.         Nevertheless, applicators and other responsible parties must use all available         application practices designed to prevent drift that will otherwise occur.         In making their decisions about pesticide applications prudent and responsible         applicators must consider all factors, including wind speed, direction,         and other weather conditions; application equipment; the proximity of         people and sensitive areas; and product label directions . A prudent and         responsible applicator must refrain from application under conditions         that are inconsistent with the goal of drift prevention, or are prohibited         by the label requirements. EPA uses its discretion to pursue violations         based on the unique facts and circumstances of each drift situation.

Pesticide applicators and others, including landowners, play a very important         role in pesticide application -- deciding whether or not to apply a pesticide         and if so how best to make that application. It is their responsibility         to know and understand a product's use restrictions. They are responsible         for complying with all other pesticide laws regarding pesticide applications         and ensuring that their application equipment and techniques will produce         a minimum of spray drift. EPA also expects applicators to exercise a high         level of professionalism in making decisions about applications.

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How Does EPA Help Protect People and the Environment from Off-Target Spray Drift?
EPA is responsible for a number of important programs that help protect         people and the environment from potential adverse effects that can be         related to off-target drift from pesticide applications. These programs         include restricting how pesticides are used, certification and training         of applicators, and enforcement and compliance of pesticide laws.

**Restricting How Pesticides are Used:**

Under Federal law, EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs is responsible         for evaluating pesticides and their uses to ensure that they can be used         with a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health and not cause unreasonable         risks to the environment when properly applied. In fulfilling these duties,         we consider the potential impact of spray drift on humans and the environment         in our evaluations of proposed pesticides for new registration and older,         existing pesticides for reregistration.

As a part of our evaluation of a pesticide, we estimate the amounts of         off-target drift and the associated potential risks to human health and         the environment. Restrictions on a pesticide's application may be triggered         in two ways. For new pesticides and existing pesticides undergoing reregistration,         estimated deposition levels are evaluated along with the pesticide's toxicity.         For existing pesticides, available information on drift incidents is also         evaluated. Based on these evaluations, OPP may impose specific restrictions         for a pesticide's application. Specific restrictions may include prohibiting         the use of certain pesticides under certain conditions, prohibiting certain         methods of application, requiring use of a foliage barrier, or requiring         a buffer zone distance between the site of application and areas to be         protected. In general, applicators must use all available drift prevention         practices in order to prevent drift.

During the past few years OPP has received and reviewed new studies on         spray drift that it required from pesticide registrants to support their         product registrations. OPP has completed its review of these studies and         reached conclusions about the factors that influence drift and the amounts         of sprays which can drift from the application site.

OPP also collaborated under a cooperative research and development agreement         with registrants and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the         development of a model ("AgDRIFT") to predict distances of spray         drift under many different conditions.

To ensure the scientific quality of the conduct of the studies, the conclusions         that were drawn from these studies, and the predictive model, OPP obtained         independent expert peer reviews, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,         and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Science Advisory Panel. These expert peer         reviews supported the use of the model and these studies for OPP's science         assessments of pesticides.

Based on these studies and reviews, OPP is now developing improved product         labeling to inform applicators of requirements to control off-target spray         drift. OPP plans to publish these requirements and an implementation plan         in a draft notice (PR Notice) this winter and ask for public comments.         Comments will be considered before publishing the final requirements in         the summer of 2003.

**Certifying and Training Applicators:**

EPA also works with USDA and state government agencies to carry out certification         and training programs for pesticide applicators. States have primary responsibility         for ensuring that pesticide applicators are licensed and certified, as         required by Federal and state laws, to apply pesticides in an appropriate         manner. Part of the program for certification can include training about         how to protect people and the environment from off-target spray drift.

**Enforcing Compliance with Laws:**

When individuals have complaints about off-target spray drift, they should         report those complaints to their state or tribal government agency (either         agriculture or environmental protection) that is responsible for enforcing         the proper use of pesticides for that state or tribe. These agencies have         the primary responsibility of enforcing lawful use of pesticide products         by investigating complaints and, when appropriate, issuing penalties for         improper use. When necessary, EPA will assist these agencies with investigations.

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What Other Activities Is EPA Participating in to Promote Awareness and Education of Spray Drift Issues?
For the past few years, EPA has been actively working together with other         Federal and state agencies and tribes, pesticide and application equipment         manufacturers, applicators, university scientists, and others (National         Coalition on Drift Minimization) on many spray drift issues. Coalition         members, including EPA, have focused attention on enhancing pesticide         applicator education, application research, and regulatory initiatives         to foster reductions in drift incidents.

Members of the Coalition have produced and widely disseminated training         and educational materials for applicators, assisted with development of         improved pesticide product label directions for drift reduction, and promoted         common awareness and understanding of technical and regulatory issues         regarding spray drift. 

In August 2001, EPA published in the Federal Register for public comment         a draft document (a draft Pesticide Registration Notice) proposing new         labeling statements for controlling spray and dust drift. The document         is entitled "Draft Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on New Labeling         Statements for Spray and Dust Drift Mitigation." The Agency also         published a companion document in the Federal Register providing further         explanation for this guidance document. The comment period, originally         scheduled to end on November 20, 2001, was extended to March 31, 2002.         Based on the numerous and diverse comments submitted, the Agency is planning         to hold public meetings in the future to ensure that it has received input         from all interested parties and fully understands all of the issues, concerns,         and suggestions in this important and complex topic before proceeding.         Following these meetings, the Agency plans to draft and publish another         proposal in 2003 for public comment. These documents can be found at http://www.epa.gov/opppmsd1/PR_Notices/.         Additional education and communication products are scheduled for future         release.

Complementing these efforts in applicator education is an increasing number         of training programs sponsored by industry and pesticide applicator organizations.         Such programs are designed to raise the level of professionalism and education         about drift issues for those involved in pesticide applications.

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Where Can Complaints About Spray Drift Be Directed?
If you believe that you have been exposed to pesticide spray drift and         have health-related questions, you should contact your physician, local         poison control center, or health department for assistance. You can also         contact the National Pesticide Information Center (see below for specifics).

If you suspect that there has been an occurrence of illegal spraying,         you should contact your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency (either         the department of agriculture or environmental protection).

Take this opportunity to verify that you have phone numbers for emergency         medical assistance and for your state and country agencies.

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Where Is Further Information Available?		  Pesticide Programs at (703) 305-5017, or visit the EPA pesticide Web site.		  

For information on pesticides and pesticide exposure, contact the **National         Pesticide Information Center** (NPIC) between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30         p.m.(Pacific Time), seven days a week, at 1-800-858-7378 (toll free) or         through its Web site (http://npic.orst.edu/).         NPIC, supported in part by EPA, provides pesticide information to any         caller in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.

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