Where should you avoid mixing, loading, or cleaning equipment?

Avoiding mixing, loading, or cleaning equipment in areas where pesticides can enter wells or surface water is essential for protecting water quality and public health. When pesticides are mixed or loaded in such locations, there is a significant risk of runoff or leaching into groundwater or surface water bodies. This contamination can have severe ecological consequences, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and pose health risks to both humans and wildlife.

Well water and surface waters, such as lakes, rivers, and streams, are vital resources for drinking, recreation, and irrigation. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct these activities in designated areas that minimize the potential for pesticide contamination in these water supplies.

While mixing, loading, or cleaning equipment near agricultural lands or residential properties may have concerns regarding the impact on people or crops, it is the potential for water contamination that presents the most immediate and severe risk to human and environmental health. Additionally, biohazard zones typically refer to areas contaminated with biological agents and do not directly relate to pesticide handling, making them a less relevant choice in this context.