Ontario Pesticide Core Exam cheat sheet

Ontario's Pesticides Act is administered by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP); O. Reg. 63/09 contains detailed licensing, certification, permit, sale, and use rules.

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) administers the federal Pest Control Products Act, which governs pesticide registration, import, manufacture, sale, and label approval.

A pesticide must be registered under the federal Pest Control Products Act before it can be sold or used in Ontario unless a specific exemption applies.

O. Reg. 63/09 requires licences for pesticide vendors and operators, and exterminator licences for individuals who apply pesticides in structural pest control.

Ontario pesticide certification uses a Core exam plus category-specific exams; certification is time-limited and must be renewed.

O. Reg. 63/09 prohibits prescribed pesticide use for cosmetic purposes on lawns, gardens, and similar areas, subject to specified exceptions such as agriculture, forestry, and health or safety.

A pesticide permit may be required under O. Reg. 63/09 for certain uses, including aerial application, aquatic application, and fumigation.

Licensed pesticide vendors must keep records of sales as required by O. Reg. 63/09 and make records available for inspection.

Label directions approved under the federal Pest Control Products Act are legally binding; use contrary to the label is an offence.

IPM sequence: identify the pest, monitor and assess the population, compare with a threshold, select control tactics, and evaluate results.

Economic threshold is the pest density at which the cost of control equals the value of crop loss avoided; an action threshold may be set lower.

Pest triangle: a susceptible host, a virulent pest or pathogen, and a favorable environment must coincide for an outbreak or disease to occur.

Annual weeds reproduce by seed and complete their life cycle in one year; biennials require two years; perennials persist through roots, rhizomes, or other vegetative structures.

Complete metamorphosis is egg-larva-pupa-adult; incomplete metamorphosis is egg-nymph-adult; the most vulnerable life stage should be targeted.

Biological control uses predators, parasitoids, or pathogens; natural enemies are conserved by selective timing and choice of control products.

Cultural controls include sanitation, crop rotation, resistant varieties, planting date, and management of fertility and water.

Monitoring tools include sweep nets, sticky traps, pheromone traps, visual counts, and degree-day models.

Resistance risk increases with repeated use of the same mode of action, sublethal rates, and high selection pressure.

LD50 is the dose in mg/kg body weight that kills 50% of test animals; a lower LD50 indicates greater acute toxicity.

LC50 is the concentration in air or water that kills 50% of test animals; a lower LC50 indicates greater acute toxicity by that route.

Acute effects occur soon after a single exposure; chronic effects result from repeated low-level exposure over time.

Exposure routes are oral, dermal, inhalation, and ocular; dermal exposure is common during mixing, loading, and application.

Canadian label signal words are Danger, Warning, and Caution; Danger indicates the highest relative acute hazard.

PPE selection is based on the label, safety data sheet, formulation, task, and exposure potential; label-specified PPE is the minimum.

Tight-fitting respirators require fit testing, no facial hair at the sealing surface, and a user seal check each time they are worn.

Chemical-resistant glove selection depends on the product and SDS; torn or contaminated gloves must be replaced.

Heat stress signs include weakness, headache, nausea, confusion, and fainting; PPE can increase heat stress risk.

Formulation types include emulsifiable concentrate (EC), wettable powder (WP), suspension concentrate (SC), water-dispersible granule (WG), granule (G), bait, and ready-to-use (RTU).

EC formulations contain solvent and emulsifier; they can injure sensitive foliage and can increase dermal absorption.

WP, SC, and WG formulations require agitation; WP can abrade nozzles, and granules require calibration by weight and incorporation where specified.

Product rate = desired active ingredient rate divided by the active ingredient concentration fraction; for example, 0.5 kg ai/ha with a 50% WP requires 1.0 kg product/ha.

Mode-of-action groups are classified by FRAC for fungicides, IRAC for insecticides, and HRAC for herbicides.

Resistance management includes full labeled rates, rotation among mode-of-action groups, tank-mix or sequence partners, and integration of nonchemical controls.

Cross-resistance occurs when resistance to one mode of action also confers resistance to another pesticide with the same or a similar target site.

Adjuvants include surfactants, oils, and drift retardants; only label-approved adjuvants should be used because they can change penetration and phytotoxicity.

Mode of action is the biochemical process disrupted; site of action is the specific target within that process.

The pesticide label is a legal document approved by PMRA; registered uses, rates, timing, PPE, re-entry intervals, buffer zones, and precautions must be followed.

A Canadian pesticide label includes the product name, active ingredient concentration, formulation, registration number, and Pest Control Products Act statement.

The safety data sheet has 16 sections under WHMIS 2015, including identification, hazards, composition, first aid, firefighting, accidental release, handling, storage, toxicology, ecology, disposal, transport, and regulatory information.

The label gives mandatory use directions; the SDS provides hazard and safety information but does not replace label directions.

Re-entry interval is the time after application before workers may enter without the label-specified PPE.

Preharvest interval is the minimum time between the last application and harvest of the crop.

Buffer zones are label-specified untreated setbacks that protect sensitive areas such as water, habitat, and dwellings.

Signal words and hazard symbols indicate acute hazard type and severity; products with different formulations may have different hazards.

Shelf life and storage statements on the label indicate acceptable storage conditions and product stability limits.

Fate processes include adsorption, desorption, leaching, runoff, volatilization, photodegradation, hydrolysis, microbial degradation, and plant uptake.

Half-life (DT50) is the time required for 50% of the pesticide to dissipate; a longer half-life indicates greater persistence.

Soil organic matter and clay increase adsorption and reduce leaching; sandy soils with low organic matter have higher leaching risk.

Leaching risk increases with high water solubility, low adsorption, long persistence, high rainfall or irrigation, and a shallow water table.

Runoff risk increases on sloped ground, compacted soils, near water, and when application occurs before heavy rain.

Volatilization and drift risk increase with high vapor pressure, high temperature, low humidity, wind, and fine spray droplets.

Buffer zones, vegetated strips, cover crops, and setback distances reduce pesticide movement to water and non-target areas.

Pollinator protection requires avoiding application to flowering crops or weeds when bees are foraging and following label bee cautions.

Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are greatest for persistent, lipophilic pesticides that concentrate in organisms and food chains.

Metric calibration formula: L/ha = (total L/min × 600) / (speed in km/h × swath width in m).

Nozzle flow varies with the square root of pressure; doubling pressure increases flow by about 1.41 times.

Replace nozzles when output exceeds 10% above the new-nozzle rating or when the spray pattern is visibly distorted.

Flat-fan nozzles are set at a height that gives the required overlap at the target; incorrect height causes streaks or overlap gaps.

Finer droplets increase coverage and drift; coarser droplets reduce drift but may reduce coverage.

Higher boom height, higher speed, and stronger wind generally increase spray drift.

Calibration steps: measure area, nozzle output, speed, and swath width; calculate rate; adjust equipment; recheck output.

A jar test checks compatibility of tank-mix ingredients before full mixing; separation, precipitation, or excessive foaming indicates incompatibility.

Tank-mixing order generally follows label directions; water is added first, then products and adjuvants in the specified sequence.

Spill response sequence: protect people, stop or contain the source if safe, contain the spill with absorbent or booms, prevent entry to drains and water, ventilate, and notify.

Report environmental spills to the Ontario Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060; call 911 first for immediate danger or injuries.

Poisoning signs include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, salivation, blurred vision, weakness, confusion, and seizures.

Organophosphate or carbamate poisoning can cause SLUDGE: salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea, gastrointestinal cramps, and emesis.

Skin first aid: remove contaminated clothing and wash affected skin with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.

Eye first aid: flush the eye with clean water for at least 15 minutes and remove contact lenses if present.

Inhalation first aid: move the person to fresh air; if breathing has stopped, provide artificial respiration or CPR and call emergency services.

Ingestion first aid: do not induce vomiting unless the label or Poison Control advises it; call the Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800-268-9017.

Contaminated clothing should be double-bagged and washed separately to avoid spreading pesticide residues.

Pesticides should be stored locked, ventilated, dry, and away from food, feed, seed, and livestock, in original labeled containers.

Secondary containment must hold leaks or spills and prevent movement to drains, soil, or water.

Maintain an inventory with dates received and opened; use oldest stock first and keep SDS and labels accessible.

Transport containers upright and secured to prevent shifting; keep pesticides separate from food, feed, and passengers.

Some pesticides are dangerous goods under transportation law; required documentation, placards, and training may apply.

Triple rinse: fill the container about one-quarter full with water, cap, shake, and drain into the spray tank; repeat three times.

Pressure rinsing is an acceptable alternative to triple rinsing when done according to label directions.

Empty rinsed containers must be punctured and taken to a municipal or household hazardous waste collection; never burn or reuse them.

A spill kit near storage and loading areas should contain absorbent material, PPE, containers, a broom, detergent, and labels.