Where Are Organophosphate Pesticides Used?

The overlayed maps above compare concentration of pesticide use for the most recent year of reported data for 14 of the most dangerous, commonly used organophosphate pesticides, allocated across all harvested cropland. (See map notes and health impacts of organophosphate pesticides.)

The overlayed map on the left displays U.S. Geological Survey’s EPest-high estimates, which relies on pesticide use data from crops in neighboring or regional “crop reporting district” to estimate unreported crop-specific pesticide use data. Thus, EPest-high is more likely to reflect restricted pesticide uses.

Data from the same year, using USGS’s EPest-low estimates, is on the overlayed map on the right. EPest-low relies on models that assume zero use for any crop where pesticide use data was not reported within a “crop reporting district,” and thus more accurately reflect state-based pesticide use restrictions.

The following maps provide comparisons between EPest-low and EPest-high estimates over the same time period. Download the data.