S Cooper 2013.

Toxic Effects of Pesticide Residue on Fruits and

Veggies. http://blog.friendseat.com/danger-of-pesticides-in-fruits-and-vegetables/. Retrieved date: 17
JAN 2019.

Pesticides have become passe in a world of Frankenfoods and have been relegated to
the gallery of “lesser evils”. But lest we forget, pesticides continue to contaminate our
food, and pose a human health risk. Pesticides are toxic by nature because they’re
manufactured and designed to do one thing: kill living organisms.

According to biomonitoring surveys by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, most Americans have detectable concentrations of multiple pesticide
residues in their bodies.

And because of powerful corporate influences on U.S. government agencies assigned

to protect the public from food toxins, the American public has virtually no idea what
effect pesticides have on human health in the long term.

In order to mask the real risks and “dumb down” the public, the government deliberately
conducts high-dose toxicity studies on pesticides instead of comprehensive long term
research to measure the cumulative effect of exposure to these poisonous chemicals.

It’s no accident that the government claimed “highly toxic pesticides like DDT, chlordane
and dursban were safe right up to the day the Environmental Protection Agency banned
them.”

Exposure to the toxic chemicals in pesticides takes place in a number of important

ways: wind, residues on and within produce, transfer to animals, and run off into water
which contaminates the water supply, fish and seafood. Pesticides infiltrate the
ecosystem in our air, oceans, rivers, groundwater and soil.

Pesticide Residue Levels

The Environmental Working Group claims that the three worst fruits and vegetables with
regard to pesticide exposure are strawberries, peaches and celery. Other foods with
high concentrations of pesticide residues are cherries, apples, pears, grapes, spinach,
and sweet bell peppers.

Currently in California, the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation is recommending

approving use of the soil fumigant methyl iodide as a a pesticide in strawberry fields;
however, reports the LA Times, scientists say that methyl iodide is very toxic and can
cause cancer, brain damage and miscarriages. An independent panel of scientists,
invited to review the health risk data and safe exposure levels recommended for
farmworkers and nearby communities, were shocked that the state is still moving
toward approval and at higher levels of exposure than what the department’s scientists
proposed.

Dangers of Pesticides — Fetal Stages

According to the Pesticide Action Network, the human health impacts linked to

pesticide exposure range from birth defects and childhood brain cancer in the very
young, to Parkinsons’ Disease in the elderly. In between are a variety of other cancers,
developmental and neurological disorders, reproductive and hormonal system
disruptions.

Exposure of pesticides to fetuses may result in growth issues causing lower birth
weight, lower cognitive scores, lower resistance to the toxic effects of pesticides, and
autism.

Long Term Effects

Toxins from pesticides linger in the human body and ultimately accumulate in the liver.
Each person’s body reacts differently to pesticides and reactions depend on the level of
exposure to chemicals, the type of chemical, and immune system resistance.

Short term health manifestations from exposure to pesticides may include fatigue,
headaches, skin irritations, nausea, vomiting, and respiratory problems. Long term
exposure to pesticides may be responsible for brain and blood disorders, liver, kidney,
and reproductive damage, breast cancer, gestational diabetes, and greater risk for
Parkinson’s disease.

Organic Produce

A study conducted by scientists at the University of Washington found that children fed

predominantly organic produce and juice had only one-sixth the level of pesticide
byproducts in their urine compared with children who ate conventionally farmed foods.

Pesticides can be developed naturally using fungi, bacteria and other organic
substances. “Some biological pesticides are microorganisms that, without any
manipulation, demonstrate natural effectiveness in targeted pest control. These
generally aren’t toxic to humans or animals and don’t leave a persistent residue.”

Most organic farmers ideally rely on biological diversity in the field to naturally reduce
habitat for pest organisms. That doesn’t mean some unscrupulous organic farmers
don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. When possible, “visit a farmer’s market and
talk with the farmers. Find out how they produce the fruits and vegetables they sell. You
can even ask for a farm tour.”

List of Foods and Related Pesticides

The “What’s On My Food?” website run by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) allows a

penetrating look into the USDA PDP (Pesticide Data Program) results. The data and
search functionality allows consumers to see what levels of pesticide residues are on
food, in what combinations, and with what associated health risks.

PAN have tests on tens of thousands of samples that USDA has performed as part of
the Pesticide Data Program. Between 1992 and 2008, 93 different foods have been
tested for pesticide residues. Their website contains data for the test years 1999 to
2008. You can search by food or pesticide.

Psa 2018, Major Vegetables and Root Crops Quarterly Bulletin, July-September 2018 retrieved date:
17 jan 2019

 From July to September 2018, eggplant production went down by 1.5

percent, from 39.06 thousand metric tons in 2017 to 38.49
thousand metric tons this quarter.
 Central Luzon posted the highest reduction in output of 496
metric tons. This was followed by Central Visayas with 251 metric tons,
and Cagayan Valley, 175 metric tons.
 During the period, the bulk of production came from CALABARZON
with 13.08 thousandmetric tons which accounted for 34.0 percent of the
total eggplant production. The other major producers were Cagayan
Valley with 11.4 percent share and Western Visayas, 8.7 percent.