Pesticide Detection and Identification
Pesticides
Identify pesticides commonly found at illegal grow sites.
Defining the Threats
Due to their hazardous properties and threat to public and environmental health, pesticide use is heavily regulated by organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the European Commission, and the European Food and Safety Authority.
Danger by the Drop
With only marijuana plant yield in mind, illegal cultivators use dangerous amounts of pesticides at grow sites with often devastating results. Animals that happen upon these grow sites only need to ingest a small, sometimes just a few drops, of these pesticides for it to be fatal.
The presence of these pesticides also pose a risk to responding law enforcement and those tasked with area clean up and reclamation after a seizure. Oftentimes, helicopters must be used to air-lift garbage, irrigation piping, and other refuse from sites.
Identify Hazardous Pesticides
With the presence of pesticides, hazardous materials protocols must be followed to properly identify, dispose, and clean waste at sites. At an average cost of $40,000 for site cleanup (before hazardous material disposal) properly identifying hazardous materials is important not only for safety, but for efficiently using funds for cleanup efforts.
Toxic Chemicals at Illegal Grow Sites are Dangerous
The identification of these toxic chemicals at illegal grow sites is critical to keep first responders and remediation personnel safe, determine the extent of the pollution, properly disposing of hazardous material, and providing officers evidence to prosecute the growers. The highly dangerous pesticides present a risk to law enforcement officers during a seizure, and to remediation personnel responsible for cleaning up the area.
Micro Mass Spec in the Cannabis Field
In an interview with Analytical Cannabis, Joe Gallo from 908 Devices explained how the MX908 has revolutionized the pesticide detection process and allowed for swift action and remediation, preventing further harm and protecting the ecosystem thanks to on-site insights within seconds.
Portable Mass Spectrometer
MX908
This rugged, handheld mass spec detects and identifies trace-level pesticides and hazardous materials in real-time.
MX908 Resources:
Suggested Resources
Field Detection of Pesticides: Suicide, Seizures, and Sickness
Watch this new on demand webinar as we explore the dangers of illegal marijuana grow operations and how to detect and identify toxic pesticides used in the cultivation process.
White Paper: Pesticide Detection and Identification at Illegal Marijuana Grows
With pesticides posing an imminent danger for wildlife in the area, responding law enforcement also find themselves potentially exposed to the hazardous chemicals
Identify Pesticides at Illegal Marijuana Grows
With the addition of the pesticide capabilities, the MX908 provides critical identification of toxic pesticides in the field, allowing users to act immediately, while keeping themselves safe.
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