At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Provides data about pesticide residues in water and in food commodities, which may affect eating and drinking habits of residents.
- Provides data on residues in drinking water available in schools and childcare facilities.
- Provides data on fresh and processed fruit and vegetables and specialty commodities that are collected close to the point of consumption and prepared using common consumer practices.
- Contains results for more than 500 different pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and growth regulators.
- Provides data on residues in treated and untreated samples collected from municipal water systems in the U.S.
Website
http://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp
Purpose
To collect data about pesticide residues in food commodities and drinking water in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
More than 120 different commodities, including fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish, grains, nuts, honey, eggs, milk, baby food, infant formula, bottled water, municipal drinking water, and private and school/childcare facility well water.
Conducted
Began in 1991. Conducted annually. Most recent year conducted was 2017.
Sponsor
Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Special Note(s)
Contact information:
Diana Haynes, PDP Director
USDA, AMS, S&T, Monitoring Program Division
1400 Independence Ave SW, Room 0601-S
Washington, DC 20250
(202) 572-8177
Sampling
Sample Design
Cross-sectional.
Fresh and processed fruit and vegetable and specialty product samples are collected by participating States following nation-wide Standard Operating Procedures. The statistically-reliable sampling protocol is designed to select random samples of commodities that best represent pesticide residues in the food supply to allow for realistic estimates of exposure to these chemicals. Samples are collected close to the point of consumption (large chain store distribution centers, warehouses, and terminal markets). Support and oversight for all sampling operations is provided by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). All participating States ship samples to a single laboratory, or two specialized laboratories, for dedicated commodity analysis.
Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables and other products (e.g., peanut butter, rice, bottled water) are collected from large chain store distribution centers, warehouses, terminal markets, and retail stores in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. Meat and poultry samples are collected at slaughterhouses, and grain products are collected from trucks, hopper cars, and barges. Drinking water samples (treated/untreated water from municipal systems and groundwater) are collected from various locations across the U.S.
Learn more about the sampling design.
Sample Size
10 states in 2017: California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. The number of samples collected by the States is apportioned according to that State’s population.
From 2001-2013, treated and untreated drinking water samples were collected at water treatment facilities in 29 States. From 2007-2013, groundwater samples were collected at farm wells, school/daycare facilities, and private residence wells located in 45 States. The drinking water surveys ended in April 2013 due to funding constraints.
Key Variables
Diet-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Pesticide and compound class | Chemical analysis |
| Collection facility type (e.g., school, retail, wholesale) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Commodity | Measured |
| Commodity type (e.g., canned, packaged fresh, fresh) | Measured |
| Residue level | Chemical analysis |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| State, census region | N/A |
| Commodity origin | N/A |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Obtain data through the Pesticide Data Program website.
Cost
Free of charge.
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
State, census region, commodity origin.
Existing Linkages
None noted.
Resources
General
PDP Fact Sheet: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PDP%20factsheet.pdf
Instructions for Using Data: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PDPDatabaseInstructions.pdf
