Driftblootstelling van omstanders en omwonenden bij de bespuiting van veldgewassen met een veldspuit

Spray drift can be limited through the use of drift- reducing nozzles and spray techniques and is obligatory when applying Plant Protection Products (PPP) alongside waterways in the Netherlands. The spray drift reducing measures implemented to protect the surface water also protect spray drift exposure of bystanders and residents in the neighbourhood of sprayed field crops using boom sprayers. Spray drift is estimated at different distances from a sprayed field crop based on earlier performed spray drift field experiments. A differentiation is made to measured spray drift deposition at ground level and estimated airborne spray drift up to 50 m distance from the treated field. Airborne spray drift curves are based on measured airborne spray drift at 5,5 m distance from the last nozzle. Airborne spray drift is further divided in exposure in the 0-3 m high air layer and the 3-6 m high air layer. For spraying field crops with a boom sprayer an analyses has been performed based on spray drift data related to dermal and inhalation exposure of bystanders and residents of some often used plant protection products in the Netherlands. It is shown that spray drift reducing technology (DRT) is important in reducing the exposure risk of bystanders and residents too. Also the effects of filter crops, like wind breaks, hedgerows etc., grown on the edge of the field on exposure of bystanders and residents is shown.