Pesticide and agricultural pollution

Québec Pesticide Risk Indicator : QPRI : Health and Environment

The Québec Pesticide Risk Indicator, identified by the acronym QPRI, is a diagnostic and decision-making tool designed to optimize pesticide management. It has a health component (QPRI-Health) and an environment component (QPRI-Environment).

This tool was developed through a comparison of pesticide risk indicators found in scientific literature. The selection and definition of criteria for the indicator are the result of close collaboration among :

  • le ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ)
  • le ministère du Développement durable,de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP)
  • l’Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ)

Both versions (2001 and 2004) of the approach recommended by the Norwegian Minister of Agriculture served as models for developing the QPRI, particularly its environment component. The health component had to be created from new criteria established by INSPQ, as no co…

Direct comparison of deposit from aerial and ground ULV applications of malathion with AGDISP predictions

A series of field trials were completed to inter-compare ground deposition from ground and aerial sprays of Fyfanon® ULV adulticide and to compare these results with others predicted by AGDISP. A ground cold-aerosol generator (Clarke GRIZZLY) was used in wind conditions ranging from 3.6 to 12.4 kph. Deposit samples (fiberglass filters) were taken at 10 m intervals to 500 m downwind. Collocated at alternate sites, the spray cloud at 1.4 m height was characterized using rotating 3 mm rods to measure drop density and size within the cloud. Aerial trials using PJ20 high-pressure nozzles were completed in winds of 17-25 kph at spray height (60 m). Ground deposit was measured at 100 m intervals to 5 km while the spray cloud was characterized at 200 m intervals.

Thoughts on urban use pesticides

In Quebec, according to current data, sales of domestic pesticides, that is, those used by private individuals, rose by almost 600% between the end of the 1970s and the start of the 1990s, and by 60% between 1992 and 1996. This development, which is the result of a keen interest in landscape maintenance and ornamental horticulture on the part of the public, is also a source of concern for many members of the public, as well as for public health authorities. This memorandum offers a brief overview of current knowledge on the health effects of urban use pesticides and suggests ways to ensure that pesticides are used rationally and safely.

Some of the health risks associated with urban use pesticides remain poorly understood due to the fact that few studies have focused on urban uses. However, the data derived from the literature on the potential effects of certain pesticides which are widely used in landscape maintenance justify a more prudent, rational approach to pestic…

Preliminary Notice Concerning the Selection of an Adulticide for the Control of Mosquitoes to Prevent the Transmission of West Nile Virus in Quebec and Elsewhere in Canada

In the event that West Nile virus (WNV) enters Canada, the control of the principal vector would be one of the key components of the efforts to limit the spread of this virus. At the present time, it appears that mosquitoes are the primary vector of WNV to humans and other animals.

The use of insecticides for this purpose is not without certain human health risks. For that reason, it is critical to select the product that offers the highest level of safety, both for the public and for workers who apply the treatments.

To determine what adulticide offers the highest level of safety, we evaluate the principal toxicity indices of the potential products identified for this type of work namely malathion, resmethrin, permethrin, propoxur and dichlorvos.

Given the lead time required to draft this notice, we focussed primarily on the most recent studies and those that most effectively met the new toxicity assessment requirements.

In order to take account of t…