What is the term for the movement of pesticides away from the application site?

The term for the movement of pesticides away from the application site is "drift." Drift specifically refers to the unintended transfer of pesticide particles or droplets through air currents during or after the application process. This can occur due to wind, temperature inversions, or inappropriate application techniques, leading to the pesticide affecting areas outside the intended target.

Understanding drift is crucial for pesticide applicators as it emphasizes the importance of following proper application guidelines to minimize off-target movement, which can harm non-target species, contaminate water sources, and create compliance issues with environmental regulations.

The other terms relate to different processes: dispersion refers to the spreading of particles in a medium, which does not specifically describe movement away from the application site, runoff deals with water carrying pesticides away from a treated area primarily during rain or irrigation, and leaching pertains to the downward movement of pesticides through the soil profile into groundwater. Each of these processes represents different ways that pesticides can move but do not specifically denote the aerial movement that drift does.