Release No. 96-41
Date: December 23, 1996
Media Contact: Veda Federighi (916) 445-3974

SACRAMENTO - Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation has released its 1995 Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data. The 427-page data summary includes the reported amounts of various pesticides used, and types of crops or places (e.g., structures, roadsides) treated.

In 1990, California became the first state to require that all agricultural pesticide use be reported. A key concern was that regulatory decisions are based on accurate information on pesticide use. DPR uses the data to help estimate dietary risk and to ensure compliance with clean air laws and ground water regulations. The site-specific use report data, combined with geographic data on endangered species habitats, also helps county agricultural commissioners resolve potential pesticide use conflicts.

DPR also uses the data to learn what pesticides are used on different crops. Reduced-risk pest management alternatives can then be developed considering the different regions of the state and commodities grown in these regions.

Pesticide use report data for 1995 breaks down into these general categories:

* The term "pesticide" is an umbrella term for substances that kill or control pests. Therefore, pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides, and sanitizers. A pesticide active ingredient is the chemical component of any pesticide product that kills, or otherwise controls, target pests. Included in "all other reported uses" are weed control along roads and other rights-of-way; public health applications, including mosquito abatement; vertebrate pest control; fumigation of nonfood and nonfeed materials such as lumber and furniture; pesticides used in research; and regulatory pest control of pest infestations.

The Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data is available in two formats. One is indexed by the name of each pesticide active ingredient, under which is a line-by-line listing of the commodities treated, number of applications, amount of acreage or units (e.g., bins) of each commodity treated, and pounds of pesticide used. The other format contains the same information but is indexed by commodity headings, under which are listed the pesticides used.

Printed copies are available from DPR for $10 for either the commodity or chemical version, or on diskette for $2.50 each. To order, send payment to: Cashier, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, 1020 N Street, Sacramento 95814-5624. After January 5, the data summaries can also be downloaded at no cost from the Pesticide Use Reporting section of DPR’s Web page at http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur95rep/95_pur.htm. Another useful DPR publication, Pesticide Use Reporting: An Overview of California's Unique Full Reporting System, can also be downloaded.

For information about obtaining the complete database on computer tape, call the DPR Information Systems Branch, (916) 445-4110.

Note: Fact sheet and chart of reported pesticide use by county follows.

Pesticide use that must be reported not only includes chemicals used on crops but also applications to such sites as parks and golf courses, as well as roadside weed control treatments. In addition, all applications made by residential and structural pest control businesses must be reported. The primary exceptions to the use reporting requirements are nonprofessional applications in homes and gardens, and in most industrial and institutional settings.

Total reported pesticide use was approximately 161 million pounds in 1991, 192 million pounds in 1992, 200 million pounds in 1993, 199.5 million pounds in 1994, and 211.8 million pounds in 1995. Yearly fluctuations can be expected, and the trend of increasing reported use is not surprising. Compliance with the use reporting requirements is greater than in the early days of the program. In addition, most counties now report data electronically, which has increased accuracy. In 1995, 56 of the state's 58 counties reported electronically, accounting for approximately 97 percent of the total pesticide use in the state. (To compare, in 1991, 15 counties reported electronically.)

Changes in planted acreage also affect the total amount of pesticide used, as do weather conditions that increase or decrease populations of insects, plant diseases, weeds, and other pests. For example, wet weather during harvest may increase the use of postharvest fungicides. In addition, changes in the real estate market affect the number of home sales, which in turn can affect how many structural fumigations are done.

It should be noted that the amount of reported pesticide use is not necessarily an accurate indicator of trends in pesticide use. For example, farmers may replace a more toxic pesticide used at one pound per acre with a less hazardous compound that must be applied at a higher rate more than once a season. This scenario repeated in a portion of the hundreds of thousands of pesticide applications each year could increase the amount used without indicating an increased reliance on pesticides. The report summarizes data submitted to the Department, and an in-depth analysis of pesticide use and trends is beyond its scope.

Included in the reported pesticides use are adjuvants, chemicals that are not considered pesticides in the traditional sense. Adjuvants are chemicals added to pesticide formulations to increase their effectiveness. The term includes wetting agents, spreaders, stickers, emulsifiers, dispersing agents, foaming suppressants, penetrants, and buffering agents. These chemicals are not required to be registered as pesticides with the federal government. California law, however, requires that they be registered with DPR for use in this state and their use must be reported as if they were pesticides.