• About DPR
• Contact Us
• Customer Service Survey
• Join E-Lists

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Pesticides

Back to Environmental Monitoring Branch

Subscribe to receive periodic e-mail updates on activities of DPR’s Volatile Organic Compound Program.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, which is harmful to human health and vegetation when present at high enough concentrations. The federal Clean Air Act requires each state to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for achieving and maintaining federal ambient air quality standards, including the standard for ozone. Nonattainment areas (NAAs) are regions in California that do not meet either federal or state ambient air quality standards. California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) and DPR developed a plan to track and reduce pesticidal sources of VOCs in NAAs as part of the California SIP to meet the ozone standard. DPR is responsible for agricultural and commercial structural pesticide products, and ARB is responsible for pesticides in consumer products.

• State Implementation Plan and maps of nonattainment areas
• Tracking pesticide VOC emissions (emission inventory)
  • Methods used to estimate VOC emissions
  • Emission inventory reports and data
  • Regulatory requirements
• Reducing pesticide VOC emissions
  • Regulatory requirements for use of fumigant pesticides
    • DPR wins appeal on pesticides and air quality (news release, August 20, 2008)
    • DPR Sees Opportunity to Clear the Air (commentary from Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam, appearing in various state media - August 2008) (PDF, 39 kb)
    • Proposed amended regulations, contingent on DPR’s success in changing its legal obligations (public comment period ends April 24, 2008)
  • Regulatory requirements for reformulation of liquid pesticides
  • Air Quality Initiative
• Research
• Related links
  • Air Resources Board (ARB)
    • Agricultural activities (Opens in new window)
    • Consumer products program (including home-use pesticides) (Opens in new window)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, (Opens in new window) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) may provide financial support to growers who use precision pesticide spray technology to reduce VOC emissions
    

For content questions contact:
Randy Segawa
Phone: (916) 324-4137
E-mail: rsegawa@cdpr.ca.gov