Pesticides - Emerging Contaminants

The use of pesticides to control unwanted pests dates back hundreds of years. Early pesticides were mainly inorganic chemicals such as calcium arsenate, lead arsenate (both now banned in the United States), and fluoroorganic compounds. Modern science has since produced hundreds of synthetic organic chemicals for use as pesticides. In fact, approximately 900 active pesticide ingredients are registered in the United States for use in nearly 20,000 pesticide products.