Pesticide use in agriculture [Regulatory decision-making process, benefit-cost analyses]

During the last three decades, the use of modern organic synthetic pesticides has increased about 40-fold. Total U. S. production, for domestic and export use, in 1976 was about 1.4 million pounds. Crops receiving the most intensive application of various pesticides were cotton for insecticides, cor...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental health perspectives 1978-12, Vol.27, p.103-112
Main Authors: Ridgway, R. L., Tinney, J. C., MacGregor, J. T., Starler, N. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture - methods
Chemical Industry
Corn
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Crop production
Crops
Food crops
Fruits
Fungicides
Herbicides
Higher Plants as Monitors of Environmental Mutagens, Marineland, Florida. January 16-18, 1978
Mutagens
Organic farming
Pest Control
Pesticides
Pesticides - pharmacology
Public Policy
Risk
United States
Vegetable crops
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:During the last three decades, the use of modern organic synthetic pesticides has increased about 40-fold. Total U. S. production, for domestic and export use, in 1976 was about 1.4 million pounds. Crops receiving the most intensive application of various pesticides were cotton for insecticides, corn for herbicides, and fruits and vegetables for fungicides. Examination of use trends of pesticides indicates that the volume in pounds of herbicides used on crops is increasing, whereas the quantities of insecticides and fungicides remain stable. New chemical classes of compounds such as the synthetic pyrethroid insecticides are being introduced, but are not yet significant in terms of their share of the market. The increased usage of pesticides, together with knowledge of some of their adverse effects, has alerted the public to the need for regulation. To assist in the regulatory decision-making process, emphasis is being placed on benefit-cost analyses. Additional and improved biological inputs and methodologies are needed to provide accurate analyses.
ISSN:0091-6765
1552-9924
DOI:10.1289/ehp.7827103