The following are excerpts from the US Department of Agriculture 2002 Summary of Agricultural Chemical Usage. The states included in the study are California and Arizona. A full report is available online. These chemicals are applied every year. Are they reclaimed to be reused? No. Where do they end up? Some of the chemicals become a residue on our fruits and vegetables, some remains in the soil where it was sprayed, some runs off into our waterways and either ends up in the ocean or in fresh water streams, ponds and lakes. These chemicals are necessary because of our current farming practices. More sustainable farming practices can be deployed without the use of cross-gene genetically modified plants and without the use of chemicals. For more information search the web for organic farming practices, sustainable farming, and Permaculture. Head Lettuce : Agricultural Chemical Applications, Program States, California and Arizona 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Active : Area : Appli- : Rate per : Rate per : Total Ingredient : Applied : cations :Application :Crop Year : Applied ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Units : Percent : Number : lbs/Acre : lbs/acre : X 1,000 Lbs Herbicides: Benefin : 20 1.3 1.03 1.34 49.1 Bensulide: 19 1.0 3.84 3.90 136.7 Glyphosate: * 1.0 0.95 0.95 0.9 Paraquat : * 1.0 0.70 0.70 0.4 Pronamide : 43 1.1 0.65 0.73 57.1 Sethoxydim: 1 1.0 0.26 0.28 0.6 Insecticides: Abamectin: 17 1.6 0.007 0.01 0.3 Acephate : 55 1.4 0.85 1.18 118.6 Acetamiprid: 5 1.0 5.83 6.07 55.9 Azadirachtin: * 1.0 0.03 0.03 2/ Bt(Bacillus thur.)3/: 8 1.1 Carbaryl: * 1.0 1.07 1.14 1.1 Cypermethrin: 14 1.0 0.08 0.08 2.1 Cyromazine: 3 1.0 0.10 0.10 0.6 Diazinon: 52 1.3 0.60 0.82 76.5 Dimethoate: 22 1.3 0.24 0.32 12.5 Emamectin benzoate: 16 1.6 0.02 0.02 0.5 Endosulfan: 11 1.0 0.92 0.93 19.1 Esfenvalerate: 19 1.1 0.04 0.05 1.7 Imidacloprid: 51 1.2 0.11 0.14 12.7 Indoxacarb: 25 1.3 0.06 0.09 3.9 Lambda- cyhalothrin: 32 1.8 0.03 0.05 2.9 Malathion: 8 1.2 1.46 1.78 26.7 Methomyl: 38 1.3 0.70 0.92 63.8 Oxydemeton- methyl : 31 1.2 0.49 0.63 35.4 Permethrin: 68 1.7 0.16 0.28 34.8 Pyrethrins: 1 1.0 0.007 0.007 2/ Rotenone : * 1.0 0.005 0.005 2/ Spinosad : 71 1.9 0.07 0.14 18.1 Tebufenozide: 14 1.0 0.12 0.13 3.2 Thiodicarb: 2 1.5 0.49 0.75 2.6 Zeta- cypermethrin: 30 1.3 0.04 0.06 3.2 Fungicides: Azoxystrobin: * 1.0 0.22 0.23 0.3 Bacillus subtilus 3/: 4 1.0 Dicloran: 5 1.2 2.27 2.92 28.6 Fosetyl-al 12 1.2 2.89 3.64 80.0 Iprodione : 22 1.2 0.94 1.14 45.2 Maneb : 66 1.9 1.27 2.49 298.0 Sulfur : 1 1.0 3.10 3.35 7.4 Vinclozolin: 11 1.4 0.66 0.97 19.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Area applied is less than one percent. 1/ Planted acres in 2002 for the 2 program states were 181,300 acres. States included are AZ and CA. 2/ Total applied is less than 50 lbs. 3/ Rates and total applied are not available because amounts of active ingredient are not comparable between products.