Texas Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

True or False: Soil and plant surfaces can contain pesticide residues even if they were not directly sprayed.

1. True

2. False

3. Only for certain pesticides

4. Only if rain occurs

The correct answer is: True

The correct answer is that it is true that soil and plant surfaces can contain pesticide residues even if they were not directly sprayed. This can occur due to a variety of factors, such as drift during application, where airborne pesticide particles settle on nearby surfaces, or through the movement of pesticides in water runoff or through soil leaching. Additionally, certain pesticides may remain in the environment and be taken up by plants through their root systems, even if those plants were not the intended targets of the application. The persistence of some pesticides in the environment can lead to unintended exposure to non-target plants and soil. Considering the context of the other response options, the notion that pesticide residues would only be present for certain pesticides, or depend exclusively on rainfall, does not capture the full range of potential residue sources and mechanisms. Although certain pesticides may have different persistence rates and mobility in the environment, the overarching truth is that residues can indeed arise from various pathways regardless of direct application. Thus, the assertion that residues can exist even in the absence of direct spraying is supported by the understanding of pesticide behavior in the environment.