The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has decided to continue its annual updates of the pesticide database, expanding its scope to cover around 400 pesticides by 2025.
Sara Talpos reports for Undark.
In short:
- The USGS Pesticide National Synthesis Project, vital for tracking agricultural chemicals' impact on health and the environment, was at risk of being updated only every five years.
- After concerted efforts by scientists and environmental groups, the USGS reversed its decision, ensuring annual updates and an expansion to include about 400 pesticides.
- The database has been instrumental in more than 500 peer-reviewed studies, aiding research on pesticide resistance, toxic impacts on pollinators, and regional health studies.
Key quote:
“My hat’s off to USGS for hearing the concerns of U.S. scientists and the broader public. They’ve done the public a huge service by saving this resource.”
— Nathan Donley, senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
Understanding the distribution and impact of pesticides is important for public health, especially in rural areas underrepresented in environmental monitoring. Despite mounting evidence of pesticides’ links to a broad range of acute and chronic health effects, change has been slow. Read more in the EHN series, Adrift.
