USA Uses Over 1 Billion Pounds Of Pesticides Every Year | The Most Widely-Used Pesticide Banned Abroad For Various Side Effects!

USA Uses Over 1 Billion Pounds Of Pesticides Every Year | The Most Widely-Used Pesticide Banned Abroad For Various Side Effects!

An immense reality unfolds as we take a closer look at the agricultural fields of the United States. Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied annually across the country—a practice aimed at boosting crop yields and curbing disease spread by controlling weeds and pests. Yet, there lies a deeper story beneath this prolific use. It raises questions about the fragile balance between human needs and the health of our planet. Chlorpyrifos, banned in many other countries in the EU and the UK due to health and environmental risks, is still the most widely used Pesticide in the US. It is sprayed on a variety of crops including wheat, apples, oranges, citrus, and other foods.

In 1980, More than four decades ago, National Geographic highlighted the ethical dilemma surrounding pesticide use. Allen A. Boraiko’s pioneering investigative report peeled back the layers of this debate. Even to this day, this dilemma remains unresolved and prompts the same burning question: Are the benefits worth the price? Let’s have a look.

The Global Pesticide Use

The United States, a vast land of agricultural abundance, relies heavily on pesticides. Over 1 billion pounds are used each year to control weeds, insects, and other pests. This massive use of chemicals boosts crop production and fights off diseases, but it comes with a cost. A cost that infiltrates the soil, contaminates the water and affects human health.

On a global scale, China takes the lead, using nearly 1,806 million kilograms of pesticides annually. The United States ranks second in pesticide consumption, with 386 million kilograms applied each year. The sheer volume underscores the global dependency on chemical interventions to secure food production, but it also ignites fierce debates about long-term health risks.

Image source: National Geographic (1980 February issue) / Fred Ward (Fungicide spatters a flagger garbed in protective clothing, as prescribed by law. Though federal and state regulations pro vide some measure of protection to those who work with and around pesticides, crit- ics charge enforcement is lax, prosecution difficult. Relatively few cases of health and safety violations involving pesticide use reach the courts each year.)

1 Billion Pounds of Pesticides in the USA

As chemicals seep into the soil, they alter the delicate equilibrium of ecosystems. Streams, rivers, and even groundwater face contamination, as do the very soils intended to nurture crops. Traces of pesticides have been found in the blood and urine of many Americans, indicating how deeply they’ve penetrated daily life.

The National Water Quality Program shows that these chemicals persist, affecting not only non-target organisms but also the water we drink and the food we eat. It’s a cycle of exposure that seems almost unavoidable.

Chlorpyrifos: The Most Widely-used Pesticide In the USA

Since 1965, Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, has been at the forefront of American agriculture. It is applied to crops like wheat, apples, and oranges and its residues linger in milk, eggs, and even meat.

It was originally approved for both agricultural and residential use, but its trajectory changed in 2000 when it was banned for indoor residential applications. By 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought a complete ban due to rising health concerns. The proposed ban met with resistance, leading to ongoing legal challenges.

In a pivotal moment in 2021, the EPA banned its use on food crops. Yet, in November 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated this ban and allowed limited use of specific crops, such as apples, peaches, soybeans, strawberries, and cotton. As of October 2024, Chlorpyrifos remains legally used on 11 crops. But some states—California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon—have outright banned it.

Across the Atlantic, the UK banned Chlorpyrifos in 2016, while the EU followed suit in 2020, classifying it as a persistent organic pollutant. The World Health Organization categorizes it as “moderately hazardous,” highlighting its link to neurological damage, particularly in children and pregnant women.

The Impact on Human Health

Exposure to Chlorpyrifos can be insidiously harmful. High doses cause acute poisoning, while even low-dose exposure has long-term consequences. Studies have linked prenatal exposure to lower birth weights, delayed motor development, and even autism. Farmworkers, who directly handle these chemicals, bear the brunt of exposure, often experiencing symptoms ranging from nausea and muscle weakness to more severe cases like paralysis and respiratory failure.

Environmental Justice and Disproportionate Impacts

Pesticides do not affect all Americans equally. Communities of color and low-income populations, often residing near agricultural fields, face disproportionate risks. A CDC study revealed higher pesticide levels in Mexican American and non-Hispanic Black populations compared to their white counterparts. It is an echo of residential segregation and limited access to organic food.

National Geographic’s Legacy: Revisiting the Pesticide Dilemma

The 1980 article by Allen A. Boraiko in National Geographic asked profound questions about the ethics of pesticide use. Are the short-term gains of increased crop yields worth the long-term risks to human and environmental health? This question remains unresolved today. Boraiko even emphasized the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 which aimed to enforce stricter safety standards, especially for children. However, there are considerable gaps in the regulation.

The regulatory loopholes allow pesticide exports to countries where these same substances are banned. As Boraiko put it, a “circle of poison” is formed—chemicals that leave the U.S. only to return as residues on imported foods.

Beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which naturally control pests, fall victim to the pesticides. Pollinators, too, suffer gravely. Bees, butterflies, and moths, essential to the ecosystem, encounter lethal and sub-lethal effects. Some succumb to acute poisoning, while others face impaired navigation, weakened immunity, and disrupted reproductive abilities.

Pesticide runoff doesn’t stop at the fields. Streams, rivers, and lakes receive these toxic flows, affecting fish, amphibians, and crustaceans. The ripples of excessive pesticide consumption are felt throughout the food web.

Image source National Geographic (1980 February issue) / Fred Ward (WING-TIP TORNADOES swirl from a model crop duster as it passes through a cloud of kerosene smoke in a NASA wind tunnel. During actual pesticide application, a spray plane’s turbulent wake forces. some droplets off target by propelling them aloft, where they may drift for miles. NASA research is aimed at modifying wing design to counteract these effects.)

The Story of Andres Murillo

In California’s San Joaquin Valley, Andres Murillo, a farmworker, endured severe neurological damage from pesticide exposure. His case brought attention to the dangers farmworkers face daily and fueled policy discussions about pesticide regulations. It drew comparisons to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” which criticized the overuse of pesticides in the 1960s.

Image source: National Geographic (1980 February issue) / Fred Ward

Conclusion: Striking a Balance

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and organic farming emerge as promising alternatives, offering a path to reduce dependency on chemical solutions. As the USDA and EPA strive for more robust safety measures, the future of sustainable agriculture rests on the balance between productivity and preserving the Earth’s natural harmony.

This is our story—a story of the delicate balance we strive to maintain, where nature’s resilience battles against humanity’s relentless quest for abundance. Let us tread more thoughtfully on this land, for the consequences are more profound than we may ever truly comprehend.

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