Crop dusting and pool chemistry.

[Pyrodav]

My SIL claims they can't open their pool until the farmers are done spraying their fields by airplane? Why and what could they do to open earlier? I'm not sure how far away the nearest field is but it is not real close. Maybe a mile. She claims one year it totally messed them up.

 

[mknauss]

Hmmm -- I do not want to live in that house if it gets dumped on by crop dusters to the point it messed up 20000 gallons of water or so --

I doubt it -- do they have a good understanding of pool water chemistry? Do they follow TFP?

take care.

 

[Pyrodav]

I'm trying to get them to see the light and follow TFP. Considering they algaecide their pool every time it rains and shock their pool once a week I'd say no they don't understand pool chemistry the way we do.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

She should ask others who have pools near her if they too have problems from the aerial spraying? If this is a problem only she experiences...... ?

Maddie

 

[Pyrodav]

Now that you mention it yippie, my aunt lives right around the corner from her... I will ask her if their pool gets this crop dusting.

 

[lightmaster]

I agree with Marty, if the amount of crop dusting chemicals that gets to her house is so much that it could mess up a pool, I’d be afraid to walk outside without a gas mask or a hazmat suit on. Those chemicals a pretty nasty, however the dusting planes tend to fly pretty low because they don’t want to waste the chemicals they paid for. The likelihood of much, if any, traveling a mile in 1 particular direction is probably pretty low.

Seems like the crop dusting chemicals might just be a scapegoat for non-TFPC treatment of a pool.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If we're spitballing chemicals, there's one that would be particularly problematic for a pool - glyphosate. Farmers use that stuff like crazy and it can be spread aerially. Glyophosate is essentially a fusion of glycine (an amino acid) and phosphate. Chlorine oxidation would leave behind phosphates (algae food) and the glycine amino acid would use up FC by creating chloramines. One aspect of glyphosate is that it hits the soil and stays there. So, if any dust is brought up by the wind, it can contain glyphosate in it. Glyphosate, in contrast to the hysteria it creates in the non-GMO crowd, is not a significant source of risk to humans (when used properly). It is an aquatic toxin so it should be fairly good at keeping gold fish and koi out of the pool

Now, that said, I sincerely doubt your SIL's pool is being harmed by crop dusting....more likely all the junk they throw into their pool on a weekly basis.

 

[Pyrodav]

I think my BIL tells her that so he can put off opening the pool...I told her that their CYA was probably sky high from the years before and never got their pool to true shock level which resulted in problems when opening.

 

[jstephens1]

The crop dusters are fairly regulated. I used to work for a fertilizer company. This day and age I would not expect more than 20-30 feet of drift. They have to control it by law. Not to mention it gets expensive to spray where it’s not intended

 

[RobinArc]

We live in south louisiana and are surrounded on ALL sides by farmland. Soybeans & wheat on the borders of our yard and tons of rice fields within a half mile radius. The crop dusters drops stuff on our house allllll the time. We've had a pool for 8 years now and have never had any trouble. I would imagine though that if there was a little algae in the pool that a dusting of fertilizer would make it tons worse though. I could be wrong. Just a thought.