Welcome to the Department of Pesticide Regulation

Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data
1998

Indexed by Chemical


State of California
Environmental Protection Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE
REGULATION
1001 I Street
Sacramento, California 95814-3510
Gray Davis, Governor
Winston H. Hickox
Secretary for Environmental Protection
Paul E. Helliker, Director
Department of Pesticide Regulation

February 2000
Questions regarding the Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data or information regarding the availability and cost of the computerized database should be directed to:
Department of Pesticide Regulation - Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management Branch
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814-3510
Telephone (916) 324-4100


Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data Indexed by Chemical

Table of Contents

Order Information

I. Introduction

II. Comments and Clarification of Data

III. Data Summary

IV. Trends in Use of Pesticides in Different Categories

V. Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data 1998 Indexed by Chemical This link downloads the compressed ASCII version. This version does not include figures. (SEE UNZIP HELP)


Order Information

In order to continue to make the Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data and the Pesticide Registration Number Book available, it is necessary to charge for the costs of reproduction and mailing.

Beginning with the 1993 reports, the Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data indexed by chemical or commodity are available on floppy disk in ASCII format. Also available is the Annual Pesticide Use Report Data (database) on CD-ROM.

The Summary of Pesticide Use Reports is available in two formats. One report is indexed by chemical and lists the amount of each pesticide used, the commodity on which it was used, the number of applications, and the acres/units treated. The second report is indexed by commodity and lists the chemicals used, the number of applications, amount of pesticides used, and the acres/units treated.

Please use the DPR Publications Order Form to order reports. (PDF, 170 kb)


I. Introduction

Development and Implementation of the Pesticide Use Reporting System

This 1998 Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data includes agricultural applications and other selected uses reported in California. This report replaces the report of preliminary 1998 pesticide use data that the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released in November 1999. It includes corrections to data errors that were completed since the preliminary report was released. Error correction is an ongoing process that continues as DPR works to improve data quality.

Under full use reporting, which began in 1990, California became the first state to require reporting of all agricultural pesticide use, including amounts applied and types of crops or places (e.g., structures, roadsides) treated. Commercial applications-including structural fumigation, pest control, and turf applications-must also be reported. The main exceptions to full use reporting are home and garden applications, and most industrial and institutional uses. Pesticide use reporting is explained in more detail below.

This summary data represents a small fraction of the information gathered under full use reporting. DPR uses the data to help estimate dietary risk and to ensure compliance with clean air laws and ground water regulations. Site-specific use report data, combined with geographic data on endangered species habitats, also helps county agricultural commissioners resolve potential pesticide use conflicts. Detailed, individual pesticide use report data may be obtained from DPR for in?depth, analytical purposes.

During 1998, DPR contracted with agricultural commissioners in 56 of the state's 58 counties for the electronic submittal of their pesticide use data to DPR. This accounted for over 99 percent of the total reported pesticide usage in the State. As the number of counties participating in this program has increased, quality of the pesticide use data has continued to improve.

To further improve the accuracy and timeliness of pesticide use data, DPR initiated the California Electronic Data Transfer System (CEDTS) in 1994. This system allows growers and pest control operators to electronically transfer application data to the agricultural commissioners' offices. By the close of 1998, 36 counties were capable of receiving data through the CEDTS program Although industry implementation has been slow, DPR remains committed to this program. DPR has redirected resources to assist industry with one-on-one efforts to modify their systems and operations required to expand the CEDTS program.

 

Types of Pesticide Applications Reported

Partial reporting of agricultural pesticide use has been in place in California since at least the 1950s. Beginning in 1970, anyone who used restricted materials was required to file a pesticide use report with the county agricultural commissioner. The criteria established to designate a pesticide as a restricted material include hazard to public health, farm workers, domestic animals, honeybees, the environment, wildlife, or other crops. Restricted materials, with certain exceptions, may be possessed or used only by or under the supervision of licensed or certified persons and only in accordance with an annual permit issued by the county agricultural commissioner.

In addition, the State required commercial pest control operators (those in the business of applying pesticides, such as agricultural applicators, structural fumigators, and professional gardeners) to report all pesticides used, whether restricted or nonrestricted. These reports included information about the pesticide applied, when and where the application was made, and the crop involved if the application was in agriculture. The reports were entered into a computerized database and summarized by chemical and crop in annual reports.

With implementation of full use reporting in 1990, the following pesticide uses are required to be reported to the commissioner, who, in turn, reports the data to DPR:


The primary exceptions to the use reporting requirements are home and garden use and most industrial and institutional uses.

 

How Pesticide Data Is Used

The expansion of use reporting was primarily undertaken in response to concerns by many individuals and groups, including government officials, scientists, farmers, legislators, and public interest groups. It was generally acknowledged that more accurate information about pesticide use would provide a better base for evaluating pesticide impacts and making regulatory decisions. Several key areas in which data are proving useful are described.

Risk Assessment

Without information on actual pesticide use, regulatory agencies must assume all planted crop acreage is treated with many pesticides even though most crops are treated with just a few chemicals. If the assumptions used by regulatory agencies are incorrect, regulators could make judgments that are overly cautious by several orders of magnitude. The use report data provides actual use data so DPR can better assess risk and make more realistic risk management decisions.

Worker Health and Safety

Under the reporting regulations, after every pesticide application pest control operators must give farmers a written notice that includes the date and time the application was completed and the restricted-entry and preharvest intervals. The restricted-entry interval is the period required between a pesticide application and when workers may re-enter the field. The preharvest interval is the time between an application and the earliest date the crop may be harvested. Farmers are required to post signs at fields treated with certain pesticides. The signs must include information on pesticide use including when it is safe for workers to re-enter the treated area. Farmers must also make records of pesticide use available to workers. Use reporting makes this information readily available.

DPR's Worker Health and Safety Branch relies on use reporting data when doing exposure assessments, which is a part of the overall risk characterization process. Using this data, scientists can determine typical application rates and how often pesticides are used.

Endangered Species

DPR is working with the county agricultural commissioners to combine site-specific pesticide use data with data on the locations of endangered species. The combined information helps commissioners resolve potential conflicts between pesticide use and the protection of endangered species. Location-specific data on pesticide use brings more accuracy to the evaluation of the possible impact of pesticides on endangered species so that use restrictions can be developed and implemented to protect fish and wildlife.

Protecting Air and Water

In meeting the requirements of the Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act of 1985, site-specific records help track pesticide use in areas that are susceptible to ground water contamination. By reviewing pesticide use data, a determination can be made whether a well became contaminated due to legal agricultural use practices.

With full pesticide use reporting, specific agricultural practices can be pinpointed to help protect surface water as well. This assists DPR in making recommendations on alternate pest control practices that protect surface water while ensuring pest control needs are met.

The federal Clean Air Act requires states to develop plans for reducing the emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, from all chemicals including pesticide products. VOCs help form smog which is harmful to both human health and vegetation. Accurate data on the amount of VOCs produced by pesticides are critical to developing measures that reduce VOC emissions. Without a state plan, the federal government could use arbitrary assumptions of the smog-contributing potential of pesticides to impose unnecessary restrictions on pesticide use. DPR worked with the State Air Resources Board and the U.S. EPA to develop a plan based on the actual VOC emissions from pesticide products. This was made possible, in part, by accurate use data from full use reporting.

The pesticide use and label databases are often used to assess potential environmental impact in evaluating requests for special local need pesticide registrations or exemptions from registration to respond to emergency pest problems.

II. Comments and Clarification of Data

The following comments and points should be taken into consideration when analyzing data contained in this report:

Terminology

The following terminology is used in this report:

A = Acreage
C = Cubic feet (of commodity treated)
K = Thousand cubic feet (of commodity treated)
P = Pounds (of commodity treated)
S = Square feet
T = Tons (of commodity treated)
U = Miscellaneous units (e.g., number of tractors, trees, bins, etc.)

Commodity Codes

DPR uses a database of pesticide product labels to cross-check data entries to determine if the product reported used is registered on the reported commodity. The DPR label database uses a coding system which is based on crop names used by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to prepare official label language. However, this coding system caused some problems until it was modified in 1990/91.

Problems occur when the label language in the database calls a crop by one name, and the use report uses another. For example, a grower may report a pesticide use on "almonds," but the actual label on the pesticide product-coded into the database-states the pesticide was to be used on "nuts." This causes use data for certain commodities to be listed under more than one category. DPR continues to work on simplification of the crop/commodity codes to achieve a more consistent structure without loss of information in the future reports.

The commodity coding structure also causes some inaccuracies because of confusion among growers. For example, the coding structure differentiates between tomatoes grown for processing and those grown for fresh market use. However, pesticide labels do not make the differentiation and in previous years neither did most growers when filing use reports. However, this practice has been changing, and after 1995 this distinction was usually made.

The commodity "grapes, processed" was renamed "grapes, wine" beginning with 1992 data summary. This change was made to differentiate grapes grown for wine production from all other categories of grapes including table grapes, raisins, grape juice, etc.

Unregistered Use

The report contains several entries that reflect the use of a pesticide on a commodity for which the pesticide is not currently registered. This sometimes occurs because the original use report was in error-either the pesticide or the commodity was inaccurately reported. [DPR's computer program checks that the commodity is listed on the label, but such errors appear in the PUR possibly because of errors in the label database. Also, the computer program does not check whether the pesticide product was registered at the time of application. Thus ethyl parathion is reported on crops for which it has not been registered since 1992.] DPR is continuing to implement methods to identify and reduce these types of reporting errors in future reports. Other instances may occur because by law, growers are sometimes allowed to use stock they have on hand of a pesticide product that has been withdrawn from the market by the manufacturer or suspended or canceled by regulatory authorities.

Other reporting "errors" may occur when a pesticide is applied directly to a site to control a particular pest, but is not applied directly to the crop in the field. A grower may use an herbicide to treat weeds on the edge of a field, a fumigant on bare soil prior to planting, or a rodenticide to treat rodent burrows. For example, reporting the use of the herbicide glyphosate on tomatoes-when it was actually applied to bare soil prior to planting the tomatoes-could be perceived to be an error. Although technically incorrect, recording the data as if the application were made directly to the commodity provides valuable crop usage information for DPR's regulatory program.

Adjuvants

Data on spray adjuvants (including emulsifiers, wetting agents, foam suppressants, and other efficacy enhancers), not reported prior to full use reporting, are now included. Examples of these types of chemicals include the "alkyls" and some petroleum distillates. (Adjuvants are exempt from federal registration requirements, but must be registered as pesticides in California.)

Zero Pounds Applied

There are a few entries in this report in which the total pounds applied for certain active ingredients are displayed as zero. This is because the chemical (active ingredient) made up a very small percentage of the formulated product that was used. When these products are applied in extremely low quantities and taking into account that the calculations are rounded to two decimal places, the resulting value of the active ingredient is too low to register an amount.

Acres Treated

The summary information in this annual report cannot be used to determine the total number of acres of a crop to which pesticides were applied during the year. Sometimes the product used contains more than one active ingredient. (In any pesticide product, the active ingredient is the component which kills, or otherwise controls, target pests. A pesticide product is made up of one or more active ingredients, as well as one or more inert ingredients.) For example, if a 20-acre field is treated with a product that contains three different pesticide active ingredients, a use report is filed by the farmer correctly recording the application of a single pesticide product to 20 acres. However, in the summary tables, the three different active ingredients will each have recorded 20 acres treated. Adding these values results in a total of 60 acres as being treated instead of the 20 acres actually treated. A similar problem occurs when the same field is treated more than once with the same active ingredient.

Number of Applications

The values for number of applications include only production agricultural applications. Applicators are required to submit one of two basic types of use reports, a production agricultural report or a monthly summary report. The production agricultural report must include information for each application; the monthly summary report, for all other uses, includes only monthly totals for all applications of each pesticide, site or commodity, and applicator. The total number of applications in the monthly summary reports are not consistently given, so they were not included in the totals in this annual report. In the annual PUR reports before 1997, each monthly summary report was counted as one application.

Also, in the annual summary table by commodity, the total number of applications given for each commodity may not equal the sum of all applications of each active ingredient on that commodity. As explained above, some pesticide products contain more than one active ingredient. If the number of applications were added for each active ingredient in such a product then the total number of applications would be more than one, even though only one application of the product was made. The totals given in the annual summary table takes into account such multiple active ingredient products and counts each as only one application.

Outliers

In calculating the total pounds of pesticides used in these tables, DPR excluded values for rates of use which were so large they were probably in error. Errors occur, for example, when those reporting pesticide use shift decimal points during data entry. DPR specialists spent more than a year developing, testing, and implementing software to detect probable errors (outliers). Pesticide rates were considered outliers if (1) they were higher than 200 pounds of active ingredient per acre (or greater than 1,000 pounds per acre for fumigants); (2) they were 50 times larger than the median rate for all uses with the same pesticide product, crop treated, unit treated, and record type (that is, production agricultural or all other use); or (3) they were higher than a value determined by a neural network procedure that approximates what a group of 12 scientists believed were obvious outliers. Although these criteria removed less than one percent of the rate values in the PUR, some rates were so large that if included in the sums, they would have significantly affected total pounds applied of some pesticides. We excluded these probable errors not only from the 1998 summary data, but also from all previous years of the PUR (1991 to 1998) in the trend summaries described below.

 

III. Data Summary

This report is a summary of data submitted to DPR. Because outlier values were excluded from previous years' data, the total pounds given here differs from summary pesticide use summary reports published before 1996. The revised numbers more accurately reflect the total pounds applied.

Pesticide Use In California

In 1998, there were 214,309,347 pounds of pesticide active ingredients reported used in California. Annual use has varied from year to year since full use reporting was implemented in 1990 (Table 1). Reported pesticide use was 167 million pounds in 1990, 153 million pounds in 1991, 180 million pounds in 1992, 188 million pounds in 1993, 191 million pounds in 1994, 205 million pounds in 1995, 198 million pounds in 1996, and 205 million pounds in 1997. Such variances are and will continue to be a normal occurrence. These fluctuations can be attributed to a variety of factors, including changes in planted acreage, crop plantings, pest pressures, and weather conditions. For example, extremely heavy rains result in excessive weeds, thus more pesticides may be used; and drought conditions may result in fewer planted acres, thus less pesticide may be used.

As in previous years, the greatest pesticide use occurred in California's San Joaquin Valley
(Table 2). The five counties with the most pounds used were Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin,
and Madera.

 

Table 1. Data for pounds of pesticide active ingredients used from 1995-1998 break down into the following general use categories:


Category

Pounds Reported Used

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Production agriculture

132,727,916

156,664,418

172,492,706

175,408,663

187,577,922

182,375,369

189,796,122

199,301,080

Postharvest fumigation

1,362,778

1,811,128

1,703,738

2,004,123

3,770,169

1,847,859

1,608,996

1,646,487

Structural pest control

8,270,772

5,319,391

4,687,296

5,186,253

4,839,368

4,738,168

5,184,905

5,876,944

Landscape maintenance

1,559,383

1,250,624

1,317,791

1,325,560

1,382,563

1,259,332

1,231,788

1,400,062

All others 1

9,239,065

15,445,580

7,811,172

7,430,770

7,563,928

7,607,753

6,957,906

6,797,585

TOTAL

153,159,914

180,491,141

188,012,703

191,355,369

205,133,950

197,828,481

204,779,717

215,022,158

1Included in "All Others" are pesticide applications reported in the following general categories: pest control on rights-of-way; public health which includes mosquito abatement work; vertebrate pest control; fumigation of nonfood and nonfeed materials, such as lumber, furniture, etc.; pesticides used in research; and regulatory pest control used in ongoing control and/or eradication of pest infestations.

 

Table 2. The total pounds of pesticide active ingredients reported in each county during 1998.

 

Pounds

   

Pounds

   

Pounds

County

Applied

  County

Applied

  County

Applied

Alameda

319,256

  Marin

97,072

  San Mateo

424,967

Alpine

147

  Mariposa

14,914

  Santa Barbara

3,997,019

Amador

160,811

  Mendocino

1,615,734

  Santa Clara

1,391,915

Butte

4,226,555

  Merced

9,385,450

  Santa Cruz

1,707,094

Calaveras

59,794

  Modoc

215,129

  Shasta

396,870

Colusa

2,081,219

  Mono

18,607

  Sierra

2,686

Contra Costa

564,513

  Monterey

10,198,858

  Siskiyou

495,747

Del Norte

277,437

  Napa

2,693,004

  Solano

1,769,725

El Dorado

238,751

  Nevada

52,856

  Sonoma

3,896,936

Fresno

39,853,390

  Orange

2,122,142

  Stanislaus

7,191,252

Glenn

2,649,404

  Placer

294,693

  Sutter

3,568,458

Humboldt

52,872

  Plumas

12,232

  Tehama

1,007,525

Imperial

9,414,599

  Riverside

3,750,044

  Trinity

2,240

Inyo

14,478

  Sacramento

4,172,220

  Tulare

18,326,496

Kern

24,124,534

  San Benito

481,817

  Tuolumne

44,230

Kings

5,121,323

  San Bernardino

750,391

  Ventura

6,614,896

Lake

964,069

  San Diego

1,966,926

  Yolo

3,321,742

Lassen

131,814

  San Francisco

24,115

  Yuba

1,656,581

Los Angeles

2,245,536

  San Joaquin

13,882,737

     
Madera

11,837,286

  San Luis Obispo

2,406,237

     
            State Total

215,022,158

 

Pesticide Sales In California

Reported pesticide applications are only a portion of the pesticides sold each year. Typically, about two-thirds of the pesticide active ingredients sold in a given year are not subject to use reporting. Examples of non-reported active ingredients are chlorine and home use pesticide products.

There were approximately 633.9 million pounds of pesticide active ingredients sold in California in 1998; 653.9 million pounds in 1997; 699.5 million pounds in 1996; 543.1 million pounds in 1995; and 627.9 million pounds in 1994.

In addition, it should be noted that the pounds of pesticides used and the number of applications are not necessarily accurate indicators of the extent of pesticide use or, conversely, the extent of use of reduced-risk pest management methods. For example, farmers may make a number of small-scale "spot" applications targeted at problem areas rather than one treatment of a large area. They may replace a more toxic pesticide used at one pound per acre with a less hazardous compound that must be applied at several pounds per acre. Either of these scenarios could increase the number of applications and amount of pounds used without indicating an increased reliance on pesticides.

IV. Trends in Use In Certain Pesticide Categories

To provide an overview of pesticide use we have summarized use of pesticides in eight different categories from 1991 to 1998 (Tables 3-10 and Figures 1-8). These categories classify pesticides according to toxic characteristics, such as reproductive toxins, carcinogens, or reduced-risk characteristics.

Some general trends include:


Pesticide use is reported as the number of pounds of active ingredient and the total number of acres treated. The data for pounds include both agricultural and non?agricultural applications; the data for acres treated are primarily agricultural applications. The number of acres treated means the cumulative number of acres treated; the acres treated in each application are summed even when the same field is sprayed more than once in a year. (For example, if one acre is treated five times, it is counted as five acres in the tables and graphs in Section IV of this report.) The "active ingredient" is the component in the pesticide product that kills or otherwise controls the target pest.

To improve data quality when calculating the total pounds of pesticides, DPR excluded values that were so large they were probably in error. Errors can occur, for example, when people reporting pesticide use shift decimal points during data entry. The procedure to exclude values involved the development of complex error-checking algorithms, a data improvement process that is ongoing.

The different pesticide categories, described more fully, are:

  1. pesticides listed on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause reproductive toxicity";
  2. pesticides listed by U.S. EPA as B2 carcinogens or on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause cancers";
  3. pesticides that are cholinesterase inhibitors, that is, organophosphate and carbamate chemicals;
  4. pesticides on the groundwater protection list [California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6800(a)] and norflurazon, which DPR is recommending be listed as a restricted material;
  5. pesticides from the toxic air contaminants list (California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6860);
  6. oil pesticides, which may include some chemicals on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause cancer" but which also serve as alternatives to high-toxicity pesticides;
  7. active ingredients contained in pesticide products that have been given reduced-risk status by U.S. EPA;
  8. biopesticides, which include microorganisms and naturally occurring compounds, or compounds essentially identical to naturally occurring compounds, that are not toxic to the target pest (such as pheromones).


 

Table 3A. (Figure 1A.) The reported pounds of pesticides used which are on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals that are "known to cause reproductive toxicity". Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 3B. (Figure 1B.) The reported cumulative acres treated with pesticides which are on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause reproductive toxicity". Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated may be less than the sum of acres treated for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 4A. (Figure 2A.) The reported pounds of pesticides used that are listed by U.S. EPA as B2 carcinogens or that are on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause cancer". Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 4B. (Figure 2B.) The reported cumulative acres treated with pesticides listed by U.S. EPA as B2 carcinogens or on the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause cancer". Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated is less than the sum of acres treated for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Data from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 5A. (Figure 3A.) The reported pounds of cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides used. These pesticides are the currently registered organophosphate and carbamate active ingredients. Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 5B. (Figure 3B.) The reported cumulative acres treated with cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides. These pesticides are the currently registered organophosphate and carbamate active ingredients. Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated is less than the sum of acres treated for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 6A. (Figure 4A.) The reported pounds of pesticides on the groundwater protection list applied in California from 1991 to 1998. These pesticides are the currently registered active ingredients listed in the California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6800(a) and norflurazon. Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 6B. (Figure 4B.)The reported acres treated in California from 1991 to 1998 with pesticides on the groundwater protection list. These pesticides are the currently registered active ingredients listed in the California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6800(a) and norflurazon. Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated is less than the sum of acres treated for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 7A. (Figure 5A.) The reported pounds of pesticides on the toxic air contaminants list applied in California from 1991 to 1998. These pesticides are the currently registered active ingredients listed in the California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6860. Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 7B. (Figure 5B.) The reported cumulative acres treated in California from 1991 to 1998 with pesticides on the toxic air contaminants list. These pesticides are the currently registered active ingredients listed in the California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 1, Article 1, Section 6860. Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated is less than the sum of acres treated for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Data from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 8A. (Figure 6A.) The reported pounds of oil pesticides. As a broad group, oil pesticides and other petroleum distillates are on U.S. EPA's list of B2 carcinogens or the State's Proposition 65 list of chemicals "known to cause cancer." However, these classifications do not distinguish among oil pesticides that may not qualify as carcinogenic due to their degree of refinement. Many such oil pesticides also serve as alternatives to high-toxicity chemicals. For this reason, oil pesticide data was classified separately in this report. Use includes both agricultural and reportable non-agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 8B. (Figure 6B.) The reported cumulative acres treated in California from 1991 to 1998 with oil pesticides. (See qualifying comments on U.S. EPA B2 carcinogen and Proposition 65 listing with Table 8A.) Uses include primarily agricultural applications. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 9A. (Figure 7A.) The reported pounds of reduced-risk pesticides applied in California. These active ingredients are contained in pesticide products that have been given reduced risk status by U.S. EPA. Use is given for each year from 1991 to 1998. Use includes both agricultural and non-agricultural applications. Blank entries appear during years before the pesticide was registered. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 9B. (Figure 7B.) The reported cumulative acres treated in California with each reduced-risk pesticide. These active ingredients are contained in pesticide products that have been given reduced risk status by U.S. EPA. Use is given for each year from 1991 to 1998. Use includes primarily agricultural applications. Blank entries appear during years before the pesticide was registered. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table10A. (Figure 8A.) The reported pounds of biopesticides applied in California. Biopesticides include microorganisms and naturally occurring compounds, or compounds essentially identical to naturally occurring compounds, that are not toxic to the target pest (such as pheromones). Use is given for each year from 1991 to 1998. Use includes both agricultural and non-agricultural applications. Blank entries appear during years before the pesticide was registered. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.

Table 10B. (Figure 8B.) The reported cumulative acres treated in California with each biopesticide. Biopesticides includes microorganisms and naturally occurring compounds, or compounds essentially identical to naturally occurring compounds, that are not toxic to the target pest (such as pheromones). Use is given for each year from 1991 to 1998. Use includes primarily agricultural applications. The total for acres treated is less than the sum of acres for all active ingredients because some products contain more than one active ingredient. Blank entries appear during years before the pesticide was registered. Data are from the Department of Pesticide Regulation's Pesticide Use Reports with probable errors removed.


 Return to top.

 Return to 1998 Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) menu.