Facts About Pesticides

Here are some basic facts about pesticides:

• The U.S. agriculture industry uses about 800 million pounds of pesticides annually.
• Homeowners use about 70 million pounds of pesticides annually on their lawns.
• Approximately 90 percent of all households in the U.S. use pesticides.

One use of pesticides is to control the mosquito population. This is important in preventing the spread of some diseases such as West Nile virus. For example, in Fort Collins, Colo., 211 people contracted West Nile virus prior to spraying pesticides to control the mosquito population. After the area was sprayed, the instances of West Nile decreased to only 17.

• Pesticides are monitored by the U.S. EPA and must go through rigorous testing before they can be distributed. The U.S. EPA requires about 100 different scientific studies and tests from all applicants seeking to register pesticides.
• There are several different type of pesticides, but the most notable are chemical pesticides (man-made) and organic or biopesticides (naturally occurring).
• Pesticides are extremely lethal in large doses. The majority do not cause long term or long lasting damage if a low dose is injected, inhaled or absorbed; however, exposure is not recommended. On every label for pesticides are instructions for proper disposal.
• In the U.S., about 110,000 pesticide poisonings are reported by poison control centers each year. About 23,000 visit the emergency room for the same reason. 

Proper storage, handling and disposal are crucial to reducing these unfortunate occurrences. To find out where to properly dispose of your pesticides, use Earth911.