MDARD Michigan Core Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

Synthetic plastic materials provide equal protection from pesticide exposure as rubber. True or False?

1. True

2. False

3. Only when wet

4. Only for specific pesticides

The correct answer is: False

The statement that synthetic plastic materials provide equal protection from pesticide exposure as rubber is false. Rubber is generally considered to be more effective than many synthetic plastics in preventing pesticide penetration. Rubber materials are often designed to provide a barrier that is resistant to chemical absorption, making them a preferred choice for protective clothing and equipment in pesticide applications. Synthetic plastics can vary widely in their chemical resistance depending on their specific formulation. While some plastics may offer reasonable protection against certain types of pesticides, they often do not provide the same level of protection across the board as rubber does. For instance, certain pesticides can easily permeate through some synthetic plastics, compromising safety. In summary, rubber is widely known for its superior barrier properties against pesticide exposure, while synthetic plastics do not uniformly match these protective qualities. Therefore, the assertion that they provide equal protection is incorrect.