1998-1999 Pesticide Market Estimates: Usage (Page 4)

3.9  U.S. Pesticide Amount Used: Other

Total amount of other pesticides used in the U.S. was slightly less than 300 million pounds in 1998, and more than 330 million pounds in 1999 (see Table 3.9). The pesticides in this group include sulfur and petroleum oil, and other chemicals used as pesticides, such as sulfuric acid, insect repellants (e.g., DEET), moth control products (e.g., paradichlorobenzene), and others.¹ Nearly all of the sulfur and oil usage (85%) is in the agricultural sector, while the usage of the other pesticides in this group is mainly in the agricultural and home and garden sectors (93%). The increase in the amount used in 1999 resulted mainly from an increase in the usage of sulfur and petroleum oil in the agricultural sector. The amount of sulfur and petroleum oil and of the other pesticides in this group in the non-agricultural sectors did not change significantly between 1998 and 1999. Nearly three-fourths of the total amount of sulfur, oil and other pesticides used was in the agricultural sector. The estimated usage relies on the amount used and changes in the amount used of sulfur, oil, and other pesticides by sector and type derived from public and proprietary EPA databases.

3.10  U.S. Pesticide Amount Used: Specialty Biocides and Chlorine/Hypochlorites

Tables 3.10a and 3.10b show the total amount of specialty biocides and chlorine/hypochlorites by end-use market in the U.S. in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Specialty biocides include water treatment chemicals, disinfectants and sanitizers, and products for other uses, such as in adhesives and sealants, leather, etc. More than two-thirds of the total amount of specialty biocides comprised water treatment chemicals. Chlorine/
hypochlorites serve as water disinfectants, with 60% of their amount used in potable and waste water and 40% in recreational water. The estimates of the amount used rely on EPA proprietary databases and industry projections.