Studies Show Startling Quantities of Dangerous Pesticides in Conventional Fruits and Vegetables-


It is becoming more apparent to scientists and experts that ingesting pesticide ridden foods are detrimental to human body function and overall health, particularly during fetal development and early childhood years. Trials performed at Emory University – one of the United States’ leading research schools in Atlanta – concluded that urine and saliva of children eating conventional fruits and vegetables were found to hold alarming biological markers of organophosphates. Daunting enough, some of these chemicals were created from nerve gas agents that were utilized during World War II. One of the most dangerous of these chemicals is chlorpyrifos, sometimes causing increased risk of delays in mental and motor development in humans around age three and an increased incidence of developmental disorders such as ADHD. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released inconsistencies on their public information website, as it first verifies that they have “acknowledged the special susceptibility and sensitivity of children to developmental and neurological effects from exposure to chlorpyrifos” – yet, in another section the report states that infants and children face no risks from the substance. In an April 2006 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, Dr. Theodore Slotki – a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University – affirms that studies of chlorpyrifos in the human body have revealed negative effects on brain development and behavior. However, thus far, it is uncertain as to the exact amount which would lead to bodily damage when ingested. In another research study in Spain, the first worldwide investigatory study to inspect pesticide levels in fruit-based soft drinks, examiners uncovered relatively high levels of “bug juice” in the above mentioned drinks– mostly in Spain and the United Kingdom, with lower levels still found in the United States.

For many years, research has proved that pesticides can cause a variety of adverse effects – such as birth defects, cancer and damage to the nervous system when administered to animals. When assessors at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences reviewed more than three hundred epidemiologic studies, research of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, they came to find connections between pesticide exposure (occupational, agricultural or residential) and several types of cancer, including leukemia, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Exposure from pesticides has also been related to a variety of health problems distressing the nervous system, including headaches, dizziness, depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In order to reach consumers on a national scale, scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) evaluated approximately 51,000 tests for pesticides performed by the USDA and the FDA, giving a score to each fruit and vegetable based on different measurements of pesticide contamination. The score chart illustrates the percentage of samples that had measurable levels of pesticides and the total number of pesticides found – with 44 commonly consumed fruits and vegetables scored from the most heavily contaminated to the least contaminated. The EWG found peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pears to be major carriers of chemicals, properly dubbed the “dirty dozen”. The fruits and veggies with the lowest contamination levels were onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Basically all the studies used to create these lists presume that people are washing and peeling their fresh produce; however, rinsing reduces – but does not eliminate pesticides – and peeling may help, but it also removes valuable nutrients from the produce. In America and around the world it is somewhat costly to buy natural, pesticide free crops; but there are definite health benefits to buying organic. If every consumer determined that they were going to stop buying conventional fruits and vegetables, the price would most likely drop as these organic farms would be able to sustain better income and the demand for clean produce would possibly end the use of dangerous agricultural pesticides for good. On the other hand, if you are unable to purchase organic for economic reasons, please remember to ALWAYS wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially when consuming these heavily contaminated items. Scrub firm produce with a clean brush for optimal sanitation and discard the outer leaves of all leafy vegetables; use a colander to wash berries and delicate greens and make sure to do so under cold, running water for about 5 minutes. Store bought produce cleaners are unnecessary as they remove about the same levels of contaminates as flowing water. For further information on the EWG testing, visit www.foodnews.org.