User:Shaypre/Pesticide regulation in the United States

On April 14th, 2022 the EPA introduced the 87 Fed. Reg. 22464 policy. Officially starting on June 14th, 2022, this policy requires reliable data proving a pesticide's effectiveness against specific invertebrate pests. The pests that are being targeted are those that cause harm to health, those that damage wood structures, and invasive species. Some of the most harmful insects to human health are ticks and mosquitoes because of their ability to carry and spread diseases, such as Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Lyme disease. Invasive species, such as the Asian Longhorn Beetle, cause ecological and economical concern because they destroy important plant species that provide ecosystem services. (Ecosystem services are free services provided by nature that benefits humanity through aesthetics, health, climate regulation, food, etc. ) The main goals and purpose of this policy is to create an accurate data record of effective pesticides and lay out direct requirements to pesticide producers, agricultural farmers, universities researching pesticide use, etc.

One of the reasons the EPA intends to collect data on pesticide use is because of the various indirect harms that pesticides have on unintended targets, such as ecologically important insects. Even if an insecticide successfully regulates a pest in an agricultural system, it can accidentally harm natural enemies that are essential to surrounding ecosystems. Some pesticides may also lower pollinator population in the area. Other organisms outside of insects have a possibility of being directly or indirectly harmed. The food chain in aquatic systems can be negatively effected when pesticides enter fish tissue and lead to fatal diseases. The data that comes from the 87 Fed. Reg. 22464 policy may help determine the success of pesticides on intended pests and weigh the possibility of unintended or unexpected effects on outside ecosystems.