SACRAMENTO--Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation has posted statewide summaries of pesticide use in 1996 -- categorized by chemicals and crops -- on its Web site www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur96rep/96_pur.htm.

DPR deferred release of the 1996 pesticide use data while developing error-checking software. (Use data for 1997 is due for release in June, and 1998 data in August.)

With corrected data on pesticide applications, DPR scientists then began analyzing pesticide use trends. An analysis of 1991-95 pesticide use is available online at http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/dprdocs/puranal.htm. DPR plans to release an analysis of the 1996 data and 1991-96 pesticide use trends in a few weeks. These analyses supplement pesticide use summaries, which have been released for several years.

DPR compiles yearly pesticide use reports from the most extensive database of its kind in the nation. California requires reporting of all pesticides used in agriculture, as well as commercial applications that may include rights-of-way, public health, structural fumigation and pest control. Home and most industrial and institutional uses are exempt from reporting.

Some key facts from the 1996 pesticide use reports and upcoming analysis:

• Reported pesticide use in California declined from 1995 to 1996. A total of 197.8 million pounds of pesticides were reported in 1996, compared to 205.1 million pounds in 1995. Pesticide use in production agriculture declined to 182.4 million pounds in 1996 from 187.6 million pounds in 1995.

Overall pesticide use also declined as measured by cumulative number of acres treated, and number of applications. (As cited above, pesticide use in pounds includes adjuvants, the ingredients that cause a pesticide to stick, spread, or dissolve as needed. DPR analyses of pesticide use exclude adjuvants.)

DPR's pending analysis of the 1991-96 data will underscore the fact that one year of data does not signify a trend. For example, pesticide use increased from 1991 to 1995. Pesticide use varies from year to year, depending upon pest problems, weather, crops, and other factors discussed in DPR's analysis.

• From 1991 to 1996, the single most-used agricultural pesticide -- in pounds used, applications, and cumulative acres treated -- was sulfur, a natural fungicide favored by both conventional and organic growers.

Sulfur accounted for 36 percent of all active ingredient pounds used, about 9 percent of production agricultural uses, and 11 percent of acres treated. Due to sulfur's irritant properties and extensive use, sulfur is also the most frequently reported source of pesticide-related injury (primarily skin irritation).

• Only four pesticides (sulfur, oil, metam-sodium, and methyl bromide) accounted for 68 percent of all pounds applied in production agriculture in 1996. And only 31 agricultural pesticides (out of approximately 800) accounted for 85 percent of all pounds applied.

The same pesticides accounted for most of the increase from 1991 to 1996. While these 31 pesticides range widely in toxicity, a number of them are generally acknowledged as reduced-risk pesticides.

• DPR's analysis found that only 19 crops accounted for 83 percent of all production agricultural pesticide use, 71 percent of all applications, and 82 percent of all acres treated in 1996.

Ranked by pounds applied, crops with the highest pesticide use were grapes (wine, table, and raisin), followed by tomatoes, almonds, cotton, oranges, strawberries, carrots, rice, and sugarbeets.

Before 1996, DPR lacked sufficient yearly data to analyze use trends, as well as the computer technology needed to conduct detailed analyses. Once the computer hardware was acquired, DPR then needed to develop custom programming to detect errors in pesticide use data. Error-checking was critical to DPR's use report analysis because even a small percentage of errors can significantly skew the statistics.

Working with agricultural commissioners who review and submit individual pesticide use reports filed in their counties, DPR has significantly improved the accuracy of pesticide use reports. For example, DPR's error-checking programs revealed that use reports had overstated total pounds of pesticide applied statewide from 1991 to 1995. However, the revised data did not alter an overall increase in pesticide pounds applied during the five-year period. (See the attached tables for revised poundage totals for 1991-1995, and for pounds applied by county in 1996.)

The pesticides reported used are only a portion of those sold in the state each year. In 1996, there were 699,5 million pounds of pesticide active ingredients sold in California. Sales figures include not only agricultural chemicals whose use must be reported, but also pesticides used in homes and gardens and in industrial and institutional settings, including disinfectants and other anti-microbials. Among the latter is chlorine used for municipal water treatment. Chlorine products typically account for more than a third of the pesticide active ingredients sold in California. Approximately 10,500 branded products that contained about 800 different active ingredients were registered for sale in California in 1996.

Summaries of the 1996 pesticide use report information are available free online or for a nominal charge on hard copy or diskette. Two summary versions of the data -- one indexed by pesticides, the other by crops -- include number of applications, acreage or units (e.g., bins) treated, and pounds of pesticide used. Summaries may be ordered in hard copy ($10 each) or on diskette ($2.50). To order, send payment to: Cashier, State of California; Department of Pesticide Regulation, 830 K Street, Sacramento 95814-3510. The data summaries may be downloaded free from DPR's Web page.

A complete data set of the 2.5 million-plus individual 1996 pesticide use reports is also available on CD ROM at a nominal cost. For information about obtaining the CD-ROM, call the DPR Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management Branch at 916/324-4100. DPR is one of six departments and boards within Cal/EPA.

Note: A county breakdown of pesticide use is attached.

Pounds of active ingredients reported used, by type of use (Computer analysis used to identify and remove probable errors.)
Category	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Production agriculture	132,727,916	156,664,418	172,492,706	175,408,663	187,577,922	182,375,369
Postharvest fumigation	1,362,778	1,811,128	1,703,738	2,004,123	3,770,169	1,847,859
Structural pest control	8,270,772	5,319,391	4,687,296	5,186,253	4,839,368	4,738,168
Landscape maintenance	1,559,383	1,250,624	1,317,791	1,325,560	1,382,563	1,259,332
All other reported uses	9,239,065	15,445,580	7,811,172	7,430,770	7,563,928	7,607,753
Total	153,159,914	180,491,141	188,012,703	191,355,369	205,133,950	197,828,481

* 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.

County Pesticide Use Data Summary

Total pounds of all pesticide active ingredients (AIs) reported used in each California county in 1996. Data from DPR's Pesticide Use Report. (Computer analysis used to identify and remove probable errors.)

County	Lbs Al		County	Lbs Al
Alameda	374,138		Orange	1,751,326
Alpine	1,125		Placer	426,690
Amador	120,271		Plumas	2,567
Butte	3,867,907		Riverside	4,373,955
Calaveras	37,671		Sacramento	2,941,258
Colusa	3,059,507		San Benito	529,056
Contra Costa	506,315		San Bernardino	563,348
Del Norte	224,557		San Diego	1,850,940
El Dorado	117,287		San Francisco	30,285
Fresno	34,863,191		San Joaquin	11,631,196
Glenn	2,406,446		San Luis Obispo	2,078,785
Humboldt	75,505		San Mateo	296,080
Imperial	7,720,152		Santa Barbara	3,578,377
Inyo	57,092		Santa Clara	795,041
Kern	24,673,044		Santa Cruz	1,763,472
Kings	6,075,523		Shasta	258,374
Lake	691,491		Sierra	1,711
Lassen	240,087		Siskiyou	561,753
Los Angeles	2,303,865		Solano	1,854,178
Madera	8,362,231		Sonoma	3,634,670
Marin	70,687		Stanislaus	6,663,113
Mariposa	24, 088		Sutter	4,138,673
Mendocino	2,254,149		Tehama	929,425
Merced	9,007,341		Trinity	5,853
Modoc	228,171		Tulare	16,931,145
Mono	2,073		Tuolumne	37,063
Monterey	8,844,473		Ventura	5,905,551
Napa	2,601,139		Yolo	3,851,842
Nevada	90,650		Yuba	1,542,887
				197,828,481