Environmental Monitoring of Malathion Aerial Applications Used to EradicateMediterranean Fruit Flies in Southern California, 1990

摘要

A Medfly infestation was discovered in Los Angeles County in July of 1989. Sincethe Medfly is one of the most destructive fruit pests, eradication measures were initiated as soon as the infestation was detected. One measure used was multiple aerial applications of malathion bait over 1,504 square kilometers (371,645 acres) of urban areas within Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Staff of the California Department of Food and Agriculture measured levels of malathion and malaoxon (an oxidation product of malathion) on the ground, in water and in air resulting from aerial applications of a malathion bait mixture to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly).