Drift can lead to contamination of what in adjacent areas?

• A. Soil and water
• B. Air only
• C. Food inside the treated area
• D. Pests only

Answer: (A)

Drift is the movement of pesticide droplets through the air away from where you sprayed. When those droplets land outside the target area, they can contaminate the soil and nearby water bodies such as streams, ponds, or runoff that reaches groundwater. That’s why the answer is soil and water: drift doesn’t only affect the air, and the contamination shows up where the chemical settles in adjacent areas. Understanding this helps you apply pesticides more carefully—using appropriate droplet sizes, nozzle types, and wind conditions, and maintaining buffer zones to protect soils and water nearby.