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 * Pesticides are monitored by the U.S. EPA and must go through rigorous testing before they can be distributed. The U.S. EPA requires about 100 different scientific studies and tests from all applicants seeking to register pesticides.
 * There are several different type of pesticides, but the most notable are chemical pesticides (man-made) and organic or biopesticides (naturally occurring).
 * Pesticides are extremely lethal in large doses. The majority do not cause long term or long lasting damage if a low dose is injected, inhaled or absorbed; however, exposure is not recommended. On every label for pesticides are instructions for proper disposal.
 * In the U.S., about 110,000 pesticide poisonings are reported by poison control centers each year. About 23,000 visit the emergency room for the same reason.
 * The U.S. agriculture industry uses about 800 million pounds of pesticides annually.
 * Homeowners use about 70 million pounds of pesticides annually on their lawns.
 * Approximately 90 percent of all households in the U.S. use pesticides.
 * One use of pesticides is to control the mosquito population.
 * This is important in preventing the spread of some diseases such as West Nile virus.
 * For example, in Fort Collins, Colo., 211 people contracted West Nile virus prior to spraying pesticides to control the mosquito population. After the area was sprayed, the instances of West Nile decreased to only 17.
 * Pesticides that are disposed of in wastewater ultimately end up somewhere. It’s important that you dispose of them properly or there will be an environmental impact.
 * Keep in mind that anything dumped down the sewer, septic system or into a stream, will cause harm to the wildlife that surrounds it. Many times, this leads to the death of fish, aquatic plants and even larger animals higher in the food chain. For example, if an animal’s prey is exposed to any type of pesticide, the larger predator that ingests that animal can become extremely ill or die just from eating the contaminated prey.
 * If you own a farm and choose to dispose of the pesticides by simply dumping the remainder on the ground, you also run a risk of contaminating the aquifer from which you pump your water or the source of drinking water for a nearby community. This kind of dumping can also lead to runoff in local streams, rivers or a sewer, depending on where you live.
 * What you may not know is that pouring these chemicals down the drain will have a tremendous impact on the environment, and that you are also about to violate the law.
 * It is extremely important to dispose of pesticides in the proper manner
 * Unsure of what to do, you may decide to pour the leftover insecticide down the sewer and toss the bottle in the trash.