Organic Inspirations

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Pesticides Statistics

Of all insecticides used globally each year, the amount used on cotton: 25%
Number of pesticides presently on the market that were registered before being tested to determine if they caused cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity: 400
Amount of time it takes to ban a pesticide in the U.S. using present procedures: 10 years
Number of active ingredients in pesticides found to cause cancer in animals or humans: 107
Of those active ingredients, the number still in use today: 83
Number of pesticides that are reproductive toxins according to the California E.P.A.: 15
Number of pesticides found to cause reproductive problems in animals: 14
Most serious cause of groundwater pollution confirmed in California: agricultural chemicals
Number of pesticides found in drinking wells of California since 1982: 68
Number of California wells affected: 957
Number of farming communities affected: 36
% of the total U.S. population supplied with drinking water from groundwater: 50%
Number of different pesticides documented by the E.P.A. to be present in groundwater in 1988: 74
Number of states affected: 32
Most acutely toxic pesticide registered by the E.P.A.: aldicarb (used frequently on cotton)
In California between 1970 and 1994 amount of total aldicarb used on cotton: 85 to 95%
Number of states in which aldicarb has been detected in the groundwater: 16
Percentage of all U.S. counties containing groundwater susceptible to contamination from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers: 46%
Number of people in the U.S. routinely drinking water contaminated with carcinogenic herbicides: 14 million
Percentage of municipal water treatment facilities lacking equipment to remove these chemicals from the drinking water: 90%
Estimated total costs for U.S. groundwater monitoring: US$900 million to 2.2 billion
Estimated costs for U.S. groundwater carbon filtration cleanup: up to $25 million per site
Percentage of all food samples tested by the FDA in 1980 which contained pesticide residues: 38%
Of the 496 pesticides identified as likely to leave residues in food, the percentage which FDA tests can routinely detect: 40%
Average number of serious pesticide-related accidents between World War II and 1980: 1 every 5 years
Average number of serious pesticide-related accidents between 1980 and the present: 2 every year
Increase in cancer rates between 1950 and 1986: 37%
Number of Americans who will learn they have cancer this year: 1 million
Number who will die from it: 500,000
Cost to U.S. of cancer in terms of lost production, income, medical expenses and research resources: US$ 39 billion each year
Highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group in the U.S.A.: farm workers
Pesticide-related illnesses among farm workers in U.S.A. each year: Approximately 300,000
Number of people in the U.S. who die each year from cancer related to pesticides: 10,400
Number of people in the U.S. killed each year by assault rifles: 250