DPR Releases 1998 Pesticide Use Data

Media Contacts:
Veda Federighi, Glenn Brank
916/445-3974

November 5, 1999 (99-27)
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov

DPR RELEASES 1998 PESTICIDE USE DATA

SACRAMENTO -- Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation reports that pesticide use went up 5 percent in 1998, based on pounds applied. DPR data also showed that use of some highly toxic chemicals dropped to their lowest levels in years, while use of reduced-risk pesticides sharply increased.

DPR's preliminary data showed total reported use at 215 million pounds in 1998, compared to 204.8 million pounds in 1997. (Data summaries may be viewed and downloaded from DPR's Web site (www.cdpr.ca.gov). DPR plans to continue its review of the 1998 data for errors and release a final version by the end of December.) Reported use includes production agriculture and postharvest fumigation of crops, structural pest control, landscape maintenance, and other uses. Exempt from reporting requirements are home and garden use of pesticides, and most industrial and institutional uses.

"This data is an important tool that helps DPR direct its resources to protect people and the environment," said DPR Director Paul E. Helliker. "It also provides valuable information for researchers, the public, and the agricultural industry."

Among findings in the 1998 data:

All of the increased pesticide use from 1997 to 1998 could be attributed to sulfur, a natural fungicide favored by organic and conventional growers alike. Sulfur use went up 13.7 million pounds as fungicide use generally increased in 1998 due to wet weather created by El Niño, according to DPR analysts.
Use of reduced-risk chemicals increased by more than 350 percent, from 72,838 pounds in 1997 to 330,882 pounds in 1998. Cumulative acreage treated rose from less than 400,000 acres in 1997 to 1.4 million acres in 1998. [The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) formally began designating certain pesticides as "reduced-risk" chemicals in 1993.]
Use of methyl bromide, a highly toxic fumigant, declined to its lowest level since 1991. Some 13.9 million pounds of methyl bromide use was reported in 1998, compared to 15.7 million pounds in 1997 and more than 16 million pounds in 1996. Declining poundage coincides with DPR restrictions on structural and agricultural use that impose the strongest controls on methyl bromide in the nation.
Use of two other pesticides subject to regulatory concerns also declined in 1998. Chlorpyrifos and diazinon -- insecticides used in both agricultural and urban environments -- have been linked to surface water contamination. Diazinon use fell to its lowest level since 1991 -- some 874,662 pounds was applied in 1998, compared to 955,000 pounds in 1997. Chlorpyrifos applications totaled 2.4 million pounds in 1998, compared to 3.2 million pounds in 1997.
Pesticides classified as reproductive toxins showed the lowest use since 1993, as measured by pounds applied. Some 29.5 million pounds were reported in 1998, compared to 32.6 million pounds in 1997.
Use of cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides dropped almost 20 percent from 1997 to 1998, from 16.2 million pounds to 13 million pounds. This represents the lowest reported usage since 1991. (Cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides disrupt pest nervous systems, and overexposure can cause similar adverse effects in humans.)

Some other categories of pesticide use showed an increase. Use of carcinogenic chemicals listed by the State under Proposition 65, or as B2 carcinogens by U.S. EPA, increased about 3 percent, from 24.5 million pounds in 1997 to 25.3 million pounds in 1998. (The B2 designation indicates probable human carcinogens, based on tests on laboratory animals.)

"It is important to note that these statistics do not indicate actual exposure to chemicals," said Helliker. "Exposure is the key in determining whether a chemical poses a risk to people or the environment. So our goal is to reduce pesticide exposure to levels where we have no health concerns. DPR is leading the search for reduced-risk pest management methods."

The 350 percent increase in use of reduced-risk chemicals from 1997 to 1998 coincides with several DPR efforts. Since 1996, for example, DPR has given top priority to registration of reduced-risk chemicals. The Department has also provided more than $4.3 million in grants since 1996 to support integrated pest management (IPM), a strategy that emphasizes natural pest control and minimal chemical use.

California is the only state that requires full use reporting, and DPR has compiled the reports in the most extensive database of its kind in the nation. DPR analyses show pesticide use varies from year to year, depending upon pest problems, weather, cropping patterns, and other factors.

Summaries of 1998 pesticide use -- categorized by chemical and crop or site -- are available free online at . The 1996 and 1997 pesticide use summaries are also available on the Web site. Two summary versions of the data (one indexed by pesticides, the other by crops) include number of applications, acreage or units treated, and pounds of pesticide used. The 300-page summaries may be ordered in hard copy ($10 each) or on diskette ($2.50). To order, send payment to: Cashier, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, 830 K Street, Sacramento 95814-3510. A complete data set of the 2.5 million-plus individual 1998 pesticide use records is also available on CD ROM for $12. For information about the CD-ROM, call the DPR Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management Branch at 916/324-4100.

DPR has supplemented the use data with a major study published online: Pesticide Use Analysis and Trends from 1991 to 1996. The study examines critical crops, pest problems, and high-use chemicals. It also analyzes trends in pesticides where use is highest as measured in pounds, number of applications, and acres treated. The study is online at .

One of six boards and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency, DPR regulates the use of pesticides to protect human health and the environment.

(Note: A county breakdown of pesticide use follows.)

Summary of County Pesticide Use Data

Total pounds of pesticide active ingredients (AIs) reported used in 1998. This is preliminary data from DPR's Pesticide Use Report.

County	Lbs AI	County	Lbs AI

Alameda	320,421	Orange	2,113,112

Alpine	147	Placer	291,934

Amador	158,657	Plumas	12,228

Butte	4,273,730	Riverside	4,095,761

Calaveras	59,472	Sacramento	4,187,906

Colusa	2,067,831	San Benito	472,115

Contra Costa	832,598	San Bernardino	750,362

Del Norte	275,130	San Diego	1,959,685

El Dorado	239,144	San Francisco	24,084

Fresno	39,912,796	San Joaquin	13,950,280

Glenn	2,653,577	San Luis Obispo	2,403,376

Humboldt	50,694	San Mateo	425,895

Imperial	9,361,694	Santa Barbara	4,044,355

Inyo	14,552	Santa Clara	1,393,763

Kern	24,129,042	Santa Cruz	1,703,733

Kings	5,105,904	Shasta	386,242

Lake	1,004,773	Sierra	2,687

Lassen	131,789	Siskiyou	502,041

Los Angeles	2,233,274	Solano	1,774,228

Madera	11,850,141	Sonoma	3,902,505

Marin	95,644	Stanislaus	7,189,904

Mariposa	14,881	Sutter	3,561,499

Mendocino	1,622,425	Tehama	1,025,329

Merced	9,372,596	Trinity	1,969

Modoc	214,979	Tulare	18,280,569

Mono	18,603	Tuolumne	43,651

Monterey	10,194,695	Ventura	6,556,058

Napa	2,726,723	Yolo	3,323,574

Nevada	53,555	Yuba	1,653,603

		Total	215,022,158

Note: Included in the table above are agricultural applications and commercial applications of pesticides including structural fumigation, pest control, and turf applications. Not included are uses not subject to reporting including home and garden applications, and most industrial and institutional uses of pesticides. * Total includes 244 pounds that could not be attributed to specific counties due to data entry errors.