Pesticide Use More than 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides are used in the United States each year. It is estimated that only 2 percent of pesticides actually serve their purpose, while 98 percent are absorbed into the air, water, soil, or food supply. Most pesticides in use are synthetic chemicals of questionable safety.
The majority of Pesticides currently used in the United States are probably less toxic than DDT and other banned pesticides, including Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, and Heptachlor. However, many pesticides banned in the United States are shipped to other countries, such as Mexico, which then sends the pesticide treated food back to the United States.
Health Problems
Pesticides are extremely toxic substances, used to kill insects, weeds, and plant diseases such as fungi, Exposure to pesticides can have a wide range of ill effects in humans, from mild side effects such as headaches, fatigue, and nausea , to more serious side effects such as cancer and neurological disorders.
The formal opinion of many “experts” is that pesticides pose no significant risk for the public or the farmer. Yet more and more human evidence is accumulating of increased cancer and birth defect rates after pesticide exposure.
Pesticide History
The history of pesticide use in the United States is riddled with pesticides that were once widely used and then banned due to health risks. One of the best known examples is DDT, widely used from the early 1940s to 1973. Although DDT has been banned for over thirty years, it is still found in the soil and in root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes.
The majority of Pesticides currently used in the United States are probably less toxic than DDT and other banned pesticides, including Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, and Heptachlor. However, many pesticides banned in the United States are shipped to other countries, such as Mexico, which then sends the pesticide treated food back to the United States.
How to Reduce Your Exposure
Buy organic produce. Although less than 3 percent of the total produce grown in the United States is grown without pesticides, organic produce is widely available.
Foreign produce is much more likely to contain excessive levels of pesticides as well as pesticides that have been banned in the United States. Try to buy local produce that is in season.
To remove surface pesticide residues, waxes, fungicides, fertilizers, soak the produce in a mild solution of additive-free soap, such as Ivory or pure castile soap from the health food store, and then rinse off.
Simply peel off the skin or remove the outer layer of leaves. The downside of this is that many of the nutritional benefits are concentrated in the skin and outer layers.
Do not over consume foods that have a tendency to concentrate pesticides, such as animal fats, meat, eggs, cheese, and milk. Try to purchase free range and organic forms of these foods.
Strawberries are the most heavily contaminated fruit in the United States. Buying Organic Strawberries may save you from gradually being exposed to large amounts of pesticides. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach often soak up chemicals, making organic a good option. Fruits and vegetables with thin skins, such as tomatoes, can also absorb large amounts of chemicals.
