1.800.858.7378 npic@ace.orst.edu
We're open from 8:00AM to 12:00PM Pacific Time, Mon-Fri

• Health & Environment
  • Human Health
  • Animal Health
  • Safe Use Practices
  • Food Safety
  • Environment
    • Air
    • Water
    • Soil
    • Wildlife
    • Plants
• Pest Control
  • Identify Your Pest
  • Learn About Your Pest
  • Control Your Pest
  • Integrated Pest Management
• Pesticide Products
  • NPRO: Pesticide Product Search
  • Pesticide Ingredients
    • Active Ingredients
    • Other/Inert Ingredients
  • Low-Risk Pesticides
  • Organic Pesticide Ingredients
• Pesticide Incidents
  • Human Exposure
  • Pet Exposure
  • Environmental Incident
  • Illegal Pesticide Activity
  • Problem With Labels or Containers
• Emergency
  • Human Poisonings
  • Pet Poisoning
  • Spills and Contamination
  • Wildlife Poisoning / Environmental Incident
• 

You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticides and the Environment

Pesticides and the Environment

The environment includes all of the living and non-living things that surround us, including the air, water, plants, soil and wildlife. Pesticides can be helpful in dealing with pests in our environment such as controlling invasive plant species that threaten native habitats. Pesticides have risks to the environment too, especially when they are used improperly.

Here are some tips to help minimize environmental risks when using pesticides:

• When pesticides enter our environment the ingredients and the conditions affect how long it will last, and where it will go.
• Read the pesticide label, including the "Environmental Hazards" section, and make sure you are following the directions to minimize the risks to the environment.
• Always dispose of unused pesticides properly.
• Consider adopting an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to controlling pests. IPM practices are designed to have minimal impacts on the environment.
• When possible, try to use pesticides that are specifically designed for the pest you are trying to control, rather than broad-spectrum pesticides which are more likely to affect non-target organisms in the environment.

To learn more about pesticides and our environment visit these resources:

If you have questions about pesticides in the environment, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Additional Resources

• Envirofacts System Data Searches - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Protect the Environment: At Home and in the Garden - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Protect the Environment: At Work - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Factsheet on Ecological Risk Assessment for Pesticides - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Ecological Risk Assessment for Pesticides: Technical Overview - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• EPA Regional and State Environmental Agencies - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Pesticide National Synthesis Project - U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Office of Hazardous Material Safety - U.S. Department of Transportation
• Emergency Response Guidebook - U.S. Department of Transportation / Transport Canada

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

Disponible en español

Please read our disclaimer | Contact us | About NPIC | En español

NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83560101). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.