Standardization News

ASTM International’s pesticides formulation subcommittee is looking for more people to help develop a standard for spray-tank cleaners, which are used by the agriculture industry.

Different kinds of pesticide mixtures are increasingly sprayed from tanks onto various kinds of crops, according to ASTM member Todd O’Connell, chairman of the pesticides formulation subcommittee. When a new mixture is introduced to the tank, though, cross contamination can occur. 

O’Connell notes that tank cleaners mitigate the risk of contamination, but there are no standard ways to test their effectiveness 

The subcommittee (known as E35.22) will discuss possibly creating a task group to develop a standard test method for the effectiveness of tank cleaners. This discussion will be part of the next meetings of ASTM International’s committee on pesticides, antimicrobials, and alternative control agents (E35) and is open to anyone. The meetings happen Oct. 22-24, in Houston, Texas, USA.