Pesticides in the United States
Pesticide use in the United States is predominantly by the agricultural sector.[1] and about a quarter of pesticides used are used in houses, yards, parks, golf courses, and swimming pools.[2]
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) was first passed in 1947, giving the United States Department of Agriculture responsibility for regulating pesticides.[3] In 1972, FIFRA underwent a major revision and transferred responsibility of pesticide regulation to the Environmental Protection Agency and shifted emphasis to protection of the environment and public health.[3]
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that between 4,000 and 20,000 cases of cancer are caused per year by pesticide residues in food in allowable amounts.[2]
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and USFWS estimate that between 6 and 14 million fish are killed by pesticides each year in the US.[2]
Pesticide residue in food
The Pesticide Data Program,[4] a program started by the United States Department of Agriculture is the largest tester of pesticide residues on food sold in the United States. It began in 1991, and has since tested over 60 different types of food for over 400 different types of pesticides - with samples collected close to the point of consumption. Their most recent summary results are from the year 2005:[5]
For example, on page 30 is comprehensive data on pesticides on fruits. Some example data:
| Fresh Fruit and Vegetables |
Number of Samples Analyzed |
Samples with Residues Detected |
Percent of Samples with Detections |
Different Pesticides Detected |
Different Residues Detected |
Total Residue Detections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | 774 | 727 | 98 | 33 | 41 | 2,619 |
| Lettuce | 743 | 657 | 88 | 47 | 57 | 1,985 |
| Pears | 741 | 643 | 87 | 31 | 35 | 1,309 |
| Orange Juice | 186 | 93 | 50 | 3 | 3 | 94 |
They were also able to test for multiple pesticides within a single sample and found that:
- These data indicate that 29.5 percent of all samples tested contained no detectable pesticides [parent
- compound and metabolite(s) combined], 30 percent contained 1 pesticide, and slightly over 40 percent
- contained more than 1 pesticide. - page 34.[5]
The Environmental Working Group used the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2000 and 2004, to produce a ranking of 43 commonly eaten fruits & vegetables.[6]
DDT
See also
- National Pesticide Information Center
- Chitosan (Natural Biocontrol for Agricultural & Horticultural use)
- Environmental issues in the United States
- Environment of the United States
- Fungicide Use in the United States
References
- ^ Kellogg RL, Nehring R, Grube A, Goss DW, and Plotkin S (February 2000), Environmental indicators of pesticide leaching and runoff from farm fields. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- ^ a b c Miller GT (2004), Sustaining the Earth, 6th edition. Thompson Learning, Inc. Pacific Grove, California. Chapter 9, Pages 211-216.
- ^ a b Willson, Harold R (February 23, 1996), Pesticide Regulations. University of Minnesota. Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
- ^ http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pdp/
- ^ a b Pesticide Data Program (February 2006). "Annual Summary Calendar Year 2005" (pdf). USDA. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ FoodNews (2006), Test Results: Complete Data Set. Environmental Working Group, ewg.org. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
External links
- United States Environmental Protection Agency - Pesticides page
- Centers for Disease Control - Compiled information on health effects of pesticides.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Data Program
- Pesticide Residues in Food - Data and Summary reports from the USDA on pesticide residues in food sold in the United States.
- Pesticides: Use, Effects, and Alternatives to Pesticides in Schools (pdf) from the United States General Accounting Office
- Croplifeamerica.org, - US trade association representing the crop protection and pest control industry
- 1997US Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program pesticide use map - shows estimates of pesticide type and intensity of pesticide use by business of mass food production.
- All Supporting Agro-Chemical Manufacturers a list of United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pesticide labels for pesticides by trade name.* A Persistent Controversy, a Still Valid Warning - May Berenbaum, head of the entomology department at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- EPA press release - December 31, 1972
- EPA on DDT
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Historic News Releases - DDT