MDARD Michigan Core Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

Which process involves the breakdown of pesticides without the influence of living organisms?

1. Chemical degradation

2. Microbial action

3. Photodegradation

4. Thermal degradation

The correct answer is: Chemical degradation

The process that involves the breakdown of pesticides without the influence of living organisms is known as chemical degradation. This process encompasses various chemical reactions that can occur under different environmental conditions, such as hydrolysis, oxidation, or reaction with other chemicals present in the environment. Chemical degradation can help reduce the concentration of pesticides in the environment, thereby mitigating their potential impact on non-target organisms and ecosystems. Photodegradation, while also a method of pesticide breakdown, specifically involves the action of sunlight, making it a light-driven process rather than a strictly chemical one. Thermal degradation involves the breakdown of pesticides due to heat, which also does not pertain to the breakdown caused by biological activity. Microbial action, on the other hand, explicitly involves living organisms and is thus not relevant to this question about processes that do not involve such influences.