This story was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship.

A majority of the top pesticide-using counties in the U.S. have cancer rates above the national average. 

For years, pesticide users have claimed agrichemicals have caused cancer, along with other health complications. Courts have agreed, ruling against pesticide manufacturers multiple times. 

Several scientific studies have also found links between cancer and pesticides, which can drift through the air or run off into nearby rivers and streams.  

While investigating this potential link, Investigate Midwest, as part of a reporting partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship, analyzed data on the top 500 U.S. counties by per-square-mile pesticide use. More than 60% of those counties also had cancer rates higher than the national average. 

Most of these counties are in the heartland, especially in Iowa, Illinois and in the agricultural regions along the Mississippi River. 

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Data Harvest (formerly Graphic of the Week) is Investigate Midwest’s way of making complex agricultural data easy to understand. Through engaging graphics, charts, and maps, we break down key trends to help readers quickly grasp the forces shaping farming, food systems, and rural communities. Want us to explore other data trends? Let us know here.

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Sourcing & Methodology Statement:

For this project, Investigate Midwest analyzed the most current and complete data (from 2018) on pesticide use in the country called the Pesticide National Synthesis Project, from the U.S. Geological Survey, a primary federal source of science-based information on ecosystems, land use and more. The estimates are based on farm surveys of pesticide use and estimates of harvested crop acres, and the dataset provides low and high estimates for approximately 400 different compounds at the county level. We analyzed kilograms of pesticide used per square mile to compare the concentration of pesticide application in counties across the country.

To compare pesticide use with cancer rates, we used State Cancer Profiles, a collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and the CDC. The most up-to-date profiles are based on five years of incidence data, from 2017 - 2021. This data provides annual age-adjusted rates of cancer (per 100,000 people) by county for different types of cancer, including colorectal and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Small numbers are suppressed, so not every county has a rate for every specific type of cancer.

Type of work:

Explainer A data-driven story that provides background, definition and detail on a specific topic.

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Ben Felder is Investigate Midwest’s first editor in chief. He was hired in 2023 to cover agribusiness and the meat industry in Oklahoma. Felder previously worked for The Oklahoman as a political enterprise...