Pesticides are used on fruit and vegetable crops to destroy pests so that farmers can produce enough for everyone. Ideally, this would be accomplished without negatively affecting the environment or human health, but we do not live in an ideal world.
The use of pesticides was largely unregulated until researchers in the 1960s began to sound the alarm about their detrimental effects. While pesticides have gotten better since then, none are perfect at providing pest control without also causing potential harm.
Types of Pesticides
There are many, many types of pesticides, but they all fall into one of two categories: synthetic or organic. Synthetic pesticides, such as carbamates and glyphosate, are man-made pesticides created in industrial labs, whereas organic pesticides (also called biopesticides) are naturally occurring chemicals, such as rotenone and copper sulfate.
Is Organic Food Pesticide-Free?
No, organic foods are not pesticide-free. The term “organic” refers to the fact that the pesticides used in organic farming are naturally occurring pesticides, rather than synthetic pesticides. However, it’s important to remember that “natural” doesn’t always mean better, or safer.
Are Organic Pesticides Safer?
Not necessarily. Organic pesticides are not automatically “non-toxic”, and elevated levels of organic pesticides can also have negative environmental and human health effects. In some cases, these effects are worse than synthetic alternatives. For example, rotenone, a naturally occurring pesticide produced by some tropical plants, is extremely toxic to fish. Copper sulfate, while classified as “organic”, is still poisonous to people and the environment at high levels.
Ultimately, the danger posed by both synthetic and organic pesticides depends on the specific pesticide used and at what quantity.
Are Pesticides on Food Harmful to Humans?
There are a number of health risks of varying severity associated with pesticides; however, the most common way that pesticides enter the body, for most of us, is through ingestion (eating food with pesticides on it).
Pesticide levels in conventional produce are almost always below the safety limits established by regulatory organizations; however, it’s important to remember that safety limits are often established using incomplete data or industry-funded (ahem, biased) studies, and the long-term health effects of pesticide buildup in the body over time is exceedingly difficult to detect.
Therefore, while acute pesticide poisoning from eating food with trace amounts of pesticides is extremely rare, long-term exposure to pesticides may be linked to:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- certain growth and developmental disorders in children, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- several types of cancer, including breast cancer, ovarian, lung and liver cancers
Studies are also being conducted on the potential health risks of long-term pesticide exposure on:
- reproduction
- fetal development, especially the nervous system
- hormone balance
- immune system
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified some pesticides as “probably” or “possibly” carcinogenic, prompting Health Canada to re-evaluate these pesticides to determine if their use in Canada poses a risk to public health.
What is the best way to wash pesticides off fruits and vegetables?
Washing produce with tap water reduces pesticide levels on the outside by about 60%. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most effective method for removing pesticide residue, as pesticides often penetrate deep into fruits and vegetables.
For this reason, you may hear experts recommending washing fruits and vegetables with commercial pesticide remover—but many people, understandably, are put off by the idea of adding chemicals to raw food before eating it. There is also a concern that adding chemical pesticide remover to raw food simply replaces one harmful chemical with another.
The best way we’ve found to wash pesticides off fruits and vegetables is by using active oxygen (O3) circulation. Active oxygen can decompose the pesticides found on fruits and vegetables, turning them into non-toxic oxides. It can also kill many of the bacteria and viruses that have been proven to cause millions of cases of foodborne illness in Canada every year.
Cooking and peeling produce is another way to decrease pesticide levels on raw fruits and vegetables; however, this can often remove much of the nutritional value at the same time.
Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is amazing for your health. Proper food preparation is the key to enjoying the many benefits of fresh produce while also minimizing the health risks associated with pesticides.
Contact Amazing Water for more information about active oxygen products, or shop now to purchase your own fruit and vegetable washer today.