CHC Research - Pesticide Exposure Pathways

Pesticide Exposure Pathways

Michael Yost, Project Director
Richard Fenske
Cole Fitzpatrick
Kit Galvin
Jaya Ramaprasad
Maria Tchong
Ming Tsai

The Pesticide Exposure Pathways Project uses environmental modeling, environmental sampling, child activity analysis, biological monitoring and aerial photography analysis to characterize pesticide spray drift deposition as an exposure pathway for young children living in agricultural communities.

You can download a poster to read more detailed information about this research.

Photo Young Red Delicious apples growing in Yakima Valley, WA—Doug Wilson, USDA.

Specific Aims

The Pesticide Exposure Pathways researchers combine novel methods for studying children’s activity patterns with expertise in ambient monitoring of pesticide residues and modeling of transport processes. The specific research aims are:

Examine aerial spraying of organophosphates on potatoes in the Columbia Basin of Washington and on winter cultivation sites in the lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas and to compare spray drift patterns, housing types and human activity patterns in these varying climatic conditions (hot/dry in eastern WA and cool/dry in southern TX).
Investigate drift from air-blast applications compared to aerial applications in Chelan and Douglas counties, Washington and to examine the pesticide penetration through the canopy cover and the terrain effects on drift.
Analyze satellite images of the Yakima valley to identify crop type and location.

For more information about the work of the Pesticide Exposure study, please see our Publications page or contact the study director, Dr. Mike Yost.

You can also learn more about the impact of our work by downloading a copy of our report "Research into Action."