Tips for Researching a Pesticide Product

• Obtain the US EPA Registration Number -- found on the label -- unique to every pesticide product.
• Contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) at 1-800-858-7378, to identify active ingredients, inert ingredients and their concentrations -- based on the US EPA registration number. NPIC can also identify the product name and manufacturer.
• Search this site for active pesticide ingredients: 
  Every page on this site also has a search box in the upper right corner.
• You can also browse our pesticide database using the links below. However, please read on for important searching tips!
• Visit the EPA website for Fact Sheets on active ingredient(s): http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/docket/
  Fact Sheets can be obtained by clicking on the "Fact Sheets" option found on the left hand side of the page.
• Contact Rachel Carson Council, Inc. (RCC) for information on Active Ingredient(s): 301-593-7507.
• Contact EXTOXNET for pesticide Active Ingredient Profiles: http://extoxnet.orst.edu
• Contact EPA for lists of inert pesticide ingredients, from those considered generally safe to those no longer allowed in the U.S. The lists do not provide any actual data and are of limited usefulness: http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/inerts/
• For Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): http://www.cdms.net or the manufacturer.

For more information on pesticides, charts on individual pesticides from the Basic Guide, or alternative pest controls, contact Rachel Carson Council

The data made available below is just a sample of what can be found in the book Basic Guide to Pesticides.

Lawn Care Pesticide Clusters

Lawn Care Pesticide Clusters Preliminary results from the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) indicate that the three insecticides most frequently detected in surface water (streams and rivers) are diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and carbaryl. These are heavily used in urban and suburban areas.

The Environmental Working Group has found that some of the most common pesticides in treated drinking water include atrazine and simazine. Tap water in 27 of the 29 cities they tested contained from two and up to 9 different pesticides.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collects data annually on more than 600 toxic chemicals that pose a threat to human health and the environment in its Toxics Release Inventory database. It publishes this information on-line as part of its Community Right to Know program. Manufacturing facilities are required to report on releases of these toxic chemicals into the air, water, and on land. Pesticides that are listed on the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory are indicated with this icon:

More information can be found at EPA's Toxics Release Inventory Website and What is the Toxics Release Inventory? The EPA also maintains a list of pesticides of known, probable, or possible human carcinogens.

Most of the pesticides listed on this website include CAS identification numbers. These are assigned by the Chemical Abstract Service.

RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC.   ·   P.O. Box 10779, Silver Spring, MD 20914   ·   Phone: 301-593-7507