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the Alberta Recycle Information Line toll-free at
1-800-463-6326
or in Edmonton at 780-427-6982.
Water protection
The preservation of surface water is critical to our
sustained quality of life and agricultural production.
Surface water throughout Alberta has been monitored
for a number of years. Monitoring data collected over
a seven-year period indicated that 98 per cent of over
3,000
samples contained at least one pesticide active
ingredient. The majority of the pesticides found in
surface water are shown to have originated from either
agricultural or urban areas. Farmers must take the
necessary steps to prevent pesticides from continuing
to enter surface water. Pesticides can be carried to a
water body in three ways:
•
spray drift from application equipment
•
water runoff from farmland
•
attached to soil and carried by wind
The greatest protection of surface water occurs by
maintaining vegetation (trees, shrubs and grasses)
surrounding small streams, rivers and lakes. This
riparian vegetation acts as a filter to protect surface
waters. Where the riparian vegetation no longer exists,
grass buffers should be left next to water to help filter
the runoff from agricultural land. Additional protective
actions can also assist in protecting water:
•
Pesticide must not be stored or mixed or application
equipment cleaned within 30 metres of any water
body and water sources including wells and dugouts.
•
Pesticides subject to leaching should not be used
on coarse-textured soils (i.e. sandy or gravelly) to
prevent groundwater contamination.
•
Never store pesticides in well houses.
•
Haul water to your sprayer and fill it in the field
rather than taking the sprayer near the water source.
•
Do not leave sprayers unattended while filling.
•
Empty pesticide containers should be never be left
near a water body.
•
Where possible, spray when wind is blowing away
from the water body.
•
Have an emergency pesticide spill kit available
when mixing pesticides.
Pesticide container disposal
Triple rinsing or pressure rinsing of pesticide
containers is the recommended method of cleaning
pesticide containers prior to disposal. Triple rinsing
renders used pesticide containers (metal, plastic, glass)
more than 99 per cent free (less than 1 ppm) of
residues in most cases. There are a number of systems
for pressure rinsing. The simpler style consists of a
hollow spike connected to a water line, which injects
water under pressure into the jug, which is then
drained into the spray tank. A newer style consists of
a small hopper mounted right on the sprayer with a
sharp metal jug opener and a pressure rinse nozzle in
the bottom of the hopper. The full jug is inserted on
the jug opener, which drains the chemical into the
tank. Wash water is injected under pressure to rinse
the container. The chemical and rinse solution is then
pumped into the spray tank by direct hose connections.
Unrinsed containers have the potential to contaminate
soil, ground water and surface water, and can be toxic
to fish and wildlife. Unrinsed containers impede the
processing and recycling of empty pesticide containers,
as containers have to be emptied, and workers are
exposed to the residue. Residues can be transported to
the atmosphere during storage, processing, shipping
and energy recovery, or they can contaminate end
products from plastic recycling processes. In addition,
it is estimated that 6 to 7 per cent of product can be
left in unrinsed containers. This amount of material
can treat 1/2 to 1 acre of land and can result in several
dollars of savings.
It is the responsibility of the farming community to
ensure that their empty pesticide containers are
directed to a designated collection site, whether it
is a municipal site or back to the point of purchase
(
depending on the product and size of container).
Please determine the correct disposal site at the
time of purchase.
Containers disposed of at a container collection site
are to be clean (triple rinsed or pressured rinsed)
and well drained (dry). Paper bags and cardboard
containers that contained pesticides should be
thoroughly emptied and disposed of at a sanitary
landfill. Do not burn paper bags or cardboard
containers.
Under the Alberta
Environmental Protection and
Enhancement Act
,
non-refillable plastic or metal
pesticide containers (restricted, agricultural and
industrial products) must be disposed of at a
pesticide container collection site.
Outer packaging (cardboard box) and paper booklets
(
affixed to plastic containers) can be disposed of in
a regular landfill, or they can be recycled if non-