"A study by the UC Berkeley Center for Environmental Research and Environmental Health published in the peer-reviewed online journal BMC Public Health Tuesday delivered a new statistic. It found that while the overall amount of organophosphate pesticide use in California decreased between 2016 and 2021, the amount of pregnant people living within 1 kilometer of fields that use organophosphate pesticides was at 7.5%."
"The study calculated the absolute change in the use of agricultural organophosphate pesticides in California between 2016 and 2021, taking into account the state's 2020 ban on chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide that was commonly used in California until it was banned due to its link to children's developmental disabilities. Santa Cruz County was ranked fourth behind the other Central Coast counties of Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Benito."
Organophosphate pesticide use in California decreased between 2016 and 2021, while 7.5% of pregnant people lived within 1 kilometer of fields where organophosphates were applied. Monterey County recorded 50% of births in 2021 from residents within that radius; Santa Cruz County recorded 29% and ranked fourth among counties. California's 2020 ban on chlorpyrifos was considered. Between 2021 and 2023, 38,287 pounds of organophosphates were recorded, with malathion accounting for 26,528 pounds. Large disparities appeared by race, age, and region, with Latino and younger residents and Central Coast communities more likely to live near treated fields. Advocates urged discontinuation of all organophosphates.
Read at The Mercury News
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