Which practice helps prevent pesticide contamination of water?

• A. Using highly water soluble pesticides
• B. Applying near water bodies
• C. Maintaining grass buffer strips and mulches
• D. Selecting persistent pesticides

Answer: (C)

Maintaining grass buffer strips and mulches helps prevent pesticide getting into water by slowing and filtering runoff from treated areas. Buffer strips along field edges act like a natural filter: the vegetation slows the flow, captures sediment, and allows pesticides bound to soil particles or absorbed by plants to be retained or degraded before reaching streams, rivers, or ditches. Mulches protect bare soil, reduce splash during application, minimize erosion, and promote better infiltration, giving more time for pesticides to break down or become less mobile before they can reach water. In contrast, using highly water-soluble pesticides, applying near water bodies, or choosing persistent pesticides increases the likelihood that chemicals will move with water or linger in the environment, raising the risk of contamination.