Massachusetts Pesticide License Exam
absorption the movement of a chemical into plants, animals (including humans),
microorganisms or soil
Acaricide a pesticide used to control mites and ticks. a Miticide is a type of acaricide
Acidic having a ph less than 7
Acidifiers = Buffers adjuvants used to retard chemical degradation of pesticides in the spray tank by
lowering the pH of alkaline water used as a diluent
Action Threshold a predetermined level of pest infestation or damage at which some type of pest
management action must be taken
Activated Charcoal A finely ground charcoal that adsorbs chemicals.
Active Ingredient (AI) The chemical or chemicals in a product responsible for pesticidal activity.
Acute effect a symptom, illness, or injury that occurs shortly after the exposure to a pesticide
Acute Exposure An exposure to a single dose of pesticide
Acute Rodenticide a pesticide that is capable of killing a rodent after a single feeding
Acute Toxicity The ability of a pesticide to cause illness after a single exposure. LD50 and LC50
are common indicators of the degree of acute toxicity
Adjuvant (Additive) a substance added to a pesticide to improve its effectiveness or safety
Adsorption the process whereby chemicals are bound to a surface by physical or chemical
attraction
Adulterated Pesticide A pesticide that does not conform to the specified standard or quality as
documented on its label or labeling
Aerosol a liquid formulation that produces a mist or fod when applied from a container in
which it is held under pressure or from a fod-generating machine
, Massachusetts Pesticide License Exam
Agitation The process of stirring or mixing the contents of a spray tank
Air-blast sprayer A type of pesticide application equipment that uses a large volume of air moving at
high speed to break up and disperse spray droplets from the nozzles
Algae relatively simple plants that are photosynthetic and contain chlorophyll
Algaecide (algicide) a pesticide used to kill or inhibit algae
Alkaline having a pH greater than 7, als
Allergic Effects a hypersensitivity to a specific substance which is not due to the substance's toxicity
annual a plant that completes its life cycle in one year
antidote a practical treatment used to counteract the effects of pesticide poisoning
Antifouling Paint a paint containing a pesticide (ex: Copper) that prevents aquatic organisms from
attaching to underwater structures (such as boat hulls, crab pots and water intake
pipes)
Antisiphoning Device a mechanism that prevents back flow of a pesticide mix from the spray tank into a
water source
application rate the amount of pesticide applied to a known area (such as an acre or 1,000 square
feet ) volume or animal
Aquifer a geological formation (ex: sand, gravel, bed rock), from which groundwater can be
drawn
Arachnid a wingless arthropod with two body regions and four pairs of jointed legs (spiders,
ticks, mites)
Arthropod An invertebrate animal characterized by jointed body and limbs usually a hard body
covering that is molted at intervals. Insects, arachnids, millipedes and centipedes
are arthropods
Atropine (Atropine Sulfate) An antidote used to treat organophosphate and carbamate poisoning.
absorption the movement of a chemical into plants, animals (including humans),
microorganisms or soil
Acaricide a pesticide used to control mites and ticks. a Miticide is a type of acaricide
Acidic having a ph less than 7
Acidifiers = Buffers adjuvants used to retard chemical degradation of pesticides in the spray tank by
lowering the pH of alkaline water used as a diluent
Action Threshold a predetermined level of pest infestation or damage at which some type of pest
management action must be taken
Activated Charcoal A finely ground charcoal that adsorbs chemicals.
Active Ingredient (AI) The chemical or chemicals in a product responsible for pesticidal activity.
Acute effect a symptom, illness, or injury that occurs shortly after the exposure to a pesticide
Acute Exposure An exposure to a single dose of pesticide
Acute Rodenticide a pesticide that is capable of killing a rodent after a single feeding
Acute Toxicity The ability of a pesticide to cause illness after a single exposure. LD50 and LC50
are common indicators of the degree of acute toxicity
Adjuvant (Additive) a substance added to a pesticide to improve its effectiveness or safety
Adsorption the process whereby chemicals are bound to a surface by physical or chemical
attraction
Adulterated Pesticide A pesticide that does not conform to the specified standard or quality as
documented on its label or labeling
Aerosol a liquid formulation that produces a mist or fod when applied from a container in
which it is held under pressure or from a fod-generating machine
, Massachusetts Pesticide License Exam
Agitation The process of stirring or mixing the contents of a spray tank
Air-blast sprayer A type of pesticide application equipment that uses a large volume of air moving at
high speed to break up and disperse spray droplets from the nozzles
Algae relatively simple plants that are photosynthetic and contain chlorophyll
Algaecide (algicide) a pesticide used to kill or inhibit algae
Alkaline having a pH greater than 7, als
Allergic Effects a hypersensitivity to a specific substance which is not due to the substance's toxicity
annual a plant that completes its life cycle in one year
antidote a practical treatment used to counteract the effects of pesticide poisoning
Antifouling Paint a paint containing a pesticide (ex: Copper) that prevents aquatic organisms from
attaching to underwater structures (such as boat hulls, crab pots and water intake
pipes)
Antisiphoning Device a mechanism that prevents back flow of a pesticide mix from the spray tank into a
water source
application rate the amount of pesticide applied to a known area (such as an acre or 1,000 square
feet ) volume or animal
Aquifer a geological formation (ex: sand, gravel, bed rock), from which groundwater can be
drawn
Arachnid a wingless arthropod with two body regions and four pairs of jointed legs (spiders,
ticks, mites)
Arthropod An invertebrate animal characterized by jointed body and limbs usually a hard body
covering that is molted at intervals. Insects, arachnids, millipedes and centipedes
are arthropods
Atropine (Atropine Sulfate) An antidote used to treat organophosphate and carbamate poisoning.
