The pesticide exposure landscape in the US is spatially and temporally complex. Researchers studying ecological exposure and effects of pesticides must consider a number of dimensions when framing experiments and conducting assessments. These dimensions consist of a set of criteria indicating a completed exposure pathway, these include receptors of interest, pesticide toxicity, relevant exposure media/pathways and pesticide loadings in relevant habitat. We leverage a range of data and model sources to provide customizable relative rankings of pesticide exposure and risk by taxa and geographic region in the US. Data sources include geographical information concerning crop coverages and species ranges, chemical properties, pesticide registration model simulation output, usage data and toxicity information.
Results/Conclusions
We construct a multi-dimensional ‘big’ data set that can be queried and viewed in a geographical context for relative risk rankings of pesticides based on receptor, area and/or crop type. This is intended to serve as a landscape-level analysis to inform area- and species-specific assessments. It can also be used by researchers to select relevant species-chemical combinations when designing and implementing pesticide studies. We present temporal changes in crop acreages and pesticide application rates as driving forces of “pesticide pressure” associated with each potential exposure category in addition to contrasting agricultural and residential/urban use patterns. We also present range maps for species of interest that combine available geographical and chemical information. We discuss the results of the geographical investigation, highlight prioritized areas of concern for specific pesticides and endangered species exposure, and identify temporal changes in ecological exposure as a function of evolving pesticide use patterns for the time period 1991-2015.