Every year, new research is
published showing the toxicity of pesticides to human health and the
environment, often at doses previously declared "safe" by the
pesticide industry and the government.
As acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects, including:
As acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects, including:
·
Nervous system effects
·
Carcinogenic effects
·
Hormone system effects
·
Skin, eye and lung irritation
Pesticides are unique among the chemicals we release into the
environment; they have inherent toxicity because they are designed to kill
living organisms, insects, plants, and fungi that are considered
"pests." Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose
health risks to people, risks that have been acknowledged by independent
research scientists and physicians across the world.
Protecting our families' health from chemical exposures can start
with minimizing children's exposure to pesticides. It is now well established
that pesticides pose a risk to vital organ systems that continue to grow and
mature from conception throughout infancy and childhood. Exposure to pesticides
and other toxic chemicals during critical periods of development can have lasting
adverse effects both in early development and later in life. The metabolism,
physiology, and biochemistry of a fetus, infant or child are fundamentally
different from those of adults; a young, organism is often less able to
metabolize and inactivate toxic chemicals and can be much more vulnerable to
the harmful effects of pesticides. The nervous system, brain, reproductive
organs and endocrine (hormone) system can be permanently, if subtly, damaged by
exposure to toxic substances in-utero or throughout early childhood that, at
the same level, cause no measurable harm to adults. The developing brain and
endocrine system are very sensitive, and low doses at a susceptible moment of
development can cause more of an effect than high doses. It is especially
important to reduce pesticide exposures of babies and young children so as to
minimize these risks.
What Can
I Do to Reduce My Risk?
Addressing the risks of pesticide exposure first and foremost
requires information, which is frequently made unavailable to the general
public by the government agencies. To counteract this trend for secrecy, EWG
believes that:
People have a right to know what's in their food, so they can
choose foods with less pesticides.
· The government can and should take steps to dramatically reduce
the number and amount of toxic chemicals, including pesticides, in the food
supply.
Each of us can opt for food safety today by choosing to purchase
produce low in pesticides and by buying organically-raised fruits and
vegetables as frequently as possible. With this first step we can protect our
families' health and preserve our own future and the future of the environment
from the harmful effects of pesticides.
The following chart ranks the highest (100 score) and lowest (1 score) pesticide loads of popular fruits and veggies.
The following chart ranks the highest (100 score) and lowest (1 score) pesticide loads of popular fruits and veggies.
RANK
|
FRUIT OR VEGGIE
|
SCORE
|
1 (worst)
|
Peach
|
100 (highest pesticide load)
|
2
|
Apple
|
93
|
3
|
Sweet Bell Pepper
|
83
|
4
|
Celery
|
82
|
5
|
Nectarine
|
81
|
6
|
Strawberries
|
80
|
7
|
Cherries
|
73
|
8
|
Kale
|
69
|
9
|
Lettuce
|
67
|
10
|
Grapes - Imported
|
66
|
11
|
Carrot
|
63
|
12
|
Pear
|
63
|
13
|
Collard Greens
|
60
|
14
|
Spinach
|
58
|
15
|
Potato
|
56
|
16
|
Green Beans
|
53
|
17
|
Summer Squash
|
53
|
18
|
Pepper
|
51
|
19
|
Cucumber
|
50
|
20
|
Raspberries
|
46
|
21
|
Grapes - Domestic
|
44
|
22
|
Plum
|
44
|
23
|
Orange
|
44
|
24
|
Cauliflower
|
39
|
25
|
Tangerine
|
37
|
26
|
Mushrooms
|
36
|
27
|
Banana
|
34
|
28
|
Winter Squash
|
34
|
29
|
Cantaloupe
|
33
|
30
|
Cranberries
|
33
|
31
|
Honeydew Melon
|
30
|
32
|
Grapefruit
|
29
|
33
|
Sweet Potato
|
29
|
34
|
Tomato
|
29
|
35
|
Broccoli
|
28
|
36
|
Watermelon
|
26
|
37
|
Papaya
|
20
|
38
|
Eggplant
|
20
|
39
|
Cabbage
|
17
|
40
|
Kiwi
|
13
|
41
|
Sweet Peas - Frozen
|
10
|
42
|
Asparagus
|
10
|
43
|
Mango
|
9
|
44
|
Pineapple
|
7
|
45
|
Sweet Corn - Frozen
|
2
|
46
|
Avocado
|
1
|
47 (best)
|
Onion
|
1 (lowest pesticide load)
|
Source: http://preventdisease.com
