Which term describes the movement of pesticides through air to non-target areas?

• A. Drift
• B. Vaporization
• C. Runoff
• D. Deposition

Answer: (A)

Drift describes the off-target movement of pesticide spray through the air, carried by wind and air currents to areas you didn’t intend to treat. When sprays are released, especially if droplets are small, they can be blown away from the target site and settle on nearby plants, surfaces, or even people and pets. This is influenced by factors like droplet size, nozzle type and spray pressure (which affect droplet size), wind speed and direction, and the height of application.

Vaporization is the pesticide turning into a gas, which can move with air, but drift specifically refers to the transport of spray droplets or particles through the air. Runoff is the movement of pesticide from surfaces into water through rain or irrigation. Deposition is the act of those airborne particles landing on surfaces, which is the end result rather than the transport itself.