According to the data evaluation of the Midwest Bureau of Investigation, in 2017, the United States used about 150 agricultural pesticides that the World Health Organization considers harmful to human health.
In 2017, a total of about 400 different agricultural pesticides were used in the United States, and data for the latest year is available. According to the USDA, more and more pesticides are being used because they “help increase yields and improve product quality by controlling weeds, insects, nematodes and plant pathogens.”
This story was republished from the Midwest Investigation Reporting Center. Read the original story here.
However, the US Department of Agriculture pointed out that pesticides have a negative impact on people’s health and the environment.
According to a review of data from the U.S. Geological Survey, in 2017, the United States used about 150 agricultural pesticides that the World Health Organization considers “harmful” to human health.
Geological surveys estimate that at least 1 billion pounds of agricultural pesticides were used in 2017. According to WHO data, about 60% (or more than 645 million pounds) of pesticides are harmful to human health.
In many other countries, many “harmful” pesticides that have been used in the United States for decades are banned.
According to data analysis by the US Geological Survey and the International Pesticide Action Network, 25 pesticides in more than 30 countries/regions were still used in the United States in 2017. The network tracks banned pesticides worldwide.
Data from the Action Network show that of the 150 hazardous pesticides used in the United States, at least 70 are banned.
For example, in 38 countries/regions including the United States, China, Brazil, and India, Phorate (the most commonly used “extremely dangerous” pesticide in the United States) was banned in 2017. In the 27 countries of the European Union, no “extremely dangerous” pesticides can be used.
Pramod Acharya is an investigative journalist, data journalist and multimedia content producer. As a research assistant at the University of Illinois at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he produced data-driven and investigative news reports for CU-CitizenAccess, the press room of the Department of Public Information. He previously worked as an assistant editor at the Nepal Investigative Journalism Center and was a Dart researcher at Columbia University and the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN).
Without your support, we will not be able to provide independent, in-depth and fair reports. Become a maintenance member today-only $1 per month. donate
©2020 Counter. all rights reserved. Using this website means accepting our user agreement and privacy policy. Without the prior written permission of The Counter, you may not copy, distribute, transmit, cache or otherwise use the materials on this website.
By using the counter (“us” and “our”) website or any of its content (defined in section 9 below) and functions (hereinafter collectively referred to as “services”), you agree to the following terms and conditions of use and other similar conditions we notify Your requirements (collectively referred to as the “Terms”).
On the premise that you continue to accept and comply with these terms, you are granted a personal, revocable, limited, non-exclusive, and non-transferable license to access and use the services and content. You can use the service for non-commercial personal purposes, not for other purposes. We reserve the right to prohibit, restrict or suspend any user’s access to the service and/or terminate this license at any time for any reason. We reserve any rights not expressly granted in these terms. We may change the terms at any time, and these changes may take effect immediately after posting. You are responsible for carefully reading these terms before each use of the service, and by continuing to use the service, you agree to all changes and the terms of use. The changes will also appear in this document, and you can access it at any time. We may modify, suspend or suspend any aspect of the service at any time, including any service function, the availability of databases or content, or for any reason (whether for all users or for you). We may also restrict certain functions and services, or restrict your access to some or all of the services, without prior notice or responsibility.