Pesticide Storage and Handling Assessment

In certain areas of the country, pesticides are showing up where they're not wanted in the drinking water. Fortunately, there are not widespread reports of pesticides occurring in Arkansas drinking water. However, if pesticides are not handled carefully around the farmstead, they can seep through the ground after a leak or spill, or they can enter a well directly during mixing and loading.

Pesticides play an important role in agriculture. They have increased farm production, and they have enabled farmers to manage more acres with less labor. Taking voluntary action to prevent pesticide contamination of groundwater will help assure their continued availability for responsible use by farmers.

Pesticides are toxic by nature and work by interfering with the life processes of plants and insects. Many pesticides can also be toxic to people. Pesticides entering a water supply in large quantities as can happen with spills or backsiphonage accidents can produce acute health effects (toxic effects apparent after only a short period of exposure), which can range from moderate to severe, depending on the toxicity of the pesticide and the amount of exposure. Low level contamination of groundwater used for drinking water supplies may result in chronic health effects (prolonged or repeated exposure to low doses of toxic substances), which may be hazardous to people and livestock.

Pesticide concentrations found in water supplies are usually not found in water supplies high enough to cause acute health effects, such as chemical burns, nausea, and convulsions. Instead, they typically occur in trace levels, and the primary concern is related to long-term exposure (chronic health effects) through use of the water.

The goal of ARKANSAS Farm*A*Syst is to help you protect your drinking water supply.

It will take you step-by-step through your pesticide handling, storage, and disposal practices.

It will rank your activities according to how they might affect the groundwater that provides your drinking water supplies.

It will provide you with easy-to-understand rankings that will help you analyze the "risk level" of your pesticide handling, storage, and disposal practices.

It will help you determine which of your practices are reasonably safe and effective, and which practices might require some modification to better protect your drinking water.

LOW RISK (rank 4)	LOW-MOD RISK (rank 3)	MOD-HIGH RISK (rank 2)	HIGH RISK (rank 1)	YOUR RANK
PESTICIDE STORAGE
• Amounts stored
No pesticides stored.	Less than 1 gallon or less than 10 pounds of each pesticide.	More than 1 gallon or more than 10 pounds of each pesticide.	More than 55 gallons or more than 550 pounds of each pesticide.
• Type stored:
• Leachability
No chemicals used.	All chemicals classified as having a low leaching potential.	Any chemicals classified as having medium leaching potential.	Any chemicals classified as having high leaching potential.
• Liquid or dry formulation
No liquids. All dry.	Some liquids. Mostly dry.	Mostly liquids. Some dry.	All liquids.
• Spill or leak control in storage areas
Concrete pad and curb installed on floor to contain leaks and spills.	Concrete pad with curb installed has some cracks, allowing spills to get to soil. OR concrete pad without cracks but no curb installed.	Wooden floor and spills could contaminate wood or soil.	Gravel or dirt floor.
• Containers
Original containers clearly labeled. No holes, tears, or weak seams.	Original containers old. Labels partially missing or hard to read.	Containers old and deteriorating. Metal containers show signs of rusting.	Containers have holes or tears that allow chemicals to leak. No labels.
• Security
Fenced or locked area separate from all other activities.	Fenced area separate from most other activities.	Open to activities that could damage containers or spill chemicals.	Open access to theft, vandalism, and children.
MIXING AND LOADING PRACTICES
• Location of well in relation to mixing/loading area without a curbed containment pad (If have a containment pad, skip to next section)
100 feet or more downslope from well.	50-100 feet downslope from well.	10-50 feet downslope from well, or 100-500 feet upslope.	Within 10 feet downslope or within 100 feet upslope from well.
• Mixing and loading pad spill containment
Concrete pad with curb keeps all spills contained and drains to sump.	Concrete pad with curb keeps all spills contained. No sump.	Concrete pad with some cracks keeps most spills contained. No curb or sump.	No mixing/loading pad or containment. Spills soak into ground or drain toward well.
• Backflow prevention on water supply
Anti-backflow device installed or 6-inch air gap between hose and tank.	Anti-backflow device installed. Hose in tank above waterline.	No anti-backflow device. Hose in tank above waterline.	No anti-backflow device. Hose in tank below waterline.
• Water Source
Separate water tank.	Hydrant away from well.	Hydrant near well.	Water taken directly from well or surface water.
• Supervision of spray tank filling
Remain at site until filling completed.	Remain near site checking on filling frequently.	Leave site for short time and check on filling every few minutes.	Start and leave site; check only when filling period is nearly complete.
• Handling System
Closed system* for all liquid and dry product transfers. *See glossary.	Closed system for most liquids. Some liquid and dry product hand poured. Sprayer fill port easy to reach.	All liquids and dry product hand poured. Sprayer fill port easy to reach.	All liquids and dry product hand poured. Sprayer fill port hard to reach.
• Sprayer cleaning and rinsate (rinse water) disposal
Sprayer washed out in field. Rinsate used in next load and applied to labeled crop.	Sprayer washed out on pad at farmstead. Rinsate used in next load and applied to labeled crop.	Sprayer washed out at farmstead. Rinsate sprayed less than 100 feet from well.	Sprayer washed out at farmstead. Rinsate dumped at farmstead or in field.
CONTAINER DISPOSAL
• Disposal location
Return all triple-rinsed plastic containers to a collection site for recycling. Take all other properly rinsed containers to an approved landfill.	Take properly rinsed containers and empty bags and bury or dispose of on farm.	Dispose empty but unrinsed containers or empty bags on farm.	Dispose or burn partially filled plastic or paper containers on farm.
		RANKINGS Total (Add up numbers in Your Rank Column)
		# OF AREAS RANKED (14 if ranked all)
		Use these two numbers to calculate risk ranking.

Pictures of chickens, flowers, wheat, a boy looking through a magnifying glass, irrigation pipe, soybean pods, and fruits and vegetables.	Cooperative Extension Service





Cooperative Extension Service	Agricultural Experiment Station
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