New UI research finds pesticides in urban homes, Iowa City trees and rivers
IOWA CITY — The first study out of a new donor-supported University of Iowa-based environmental research initiative has found many of the state’s commonly used agricultural chemicals are not just present in rivers and streams but in urban communities and inside homes. The research — out of the university’s new Iowa Integrated Network for Science, Information and Geospatial Health Tracking, or INSIGHT — studied pesticides in Iowa’s water, air and homes to better understand exposure pathways and risks to both the environment and the public. “Iowa is one of the nation’s largest users of pesticides, yet we still have significant gaps in our understanding of where these chemicals end up and how people may be exposed to them,” said UI civil and environmental engineering professor David Cwiertny , who directs the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination along with Iowa INSIGHT. A 2025 map produced by the U.S. Geological Survey showed pesticide use is most prevalent across Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky, according to media reports. And while the Environmental Protection Agency must review pesticides before they can be sold or used in the United States, approval doesn’t mean they’re risk-free. In fact — while farmers
