Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/924515
Abby's Magazine - Volume 6 Issue 1| Page 49 3. Grapes Would you believe that a single grape tested positive for 15 pesticides? Perhaps the most serious is chlorpyrifos, an insecticide known to sicken farmworkers and others living or working close to fields. Immediate exposure to chlorpyrifos causes coughing, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, dizziness, and disorientation. Studies have shown that long-term exposure is toxic to the brain, particularly affecting brain development in children. (Chlorpyrifos is also commonly sprayed on citrus fruit and nuts.) Two weeks ago, the National Resources Defense Council and PANNA sued the EPA in an attempt to ban the use of chlorpyrifos. 4. Celery This seemingly innocuous vegetable tests high in dicloran and acephate, both possible carcinogens, along with a laundry list of other pesticides and fungicides. 5. Peaches and Nectarines If you've ever seen a backyard peach tree, you've probably seen peach leaf curl, brown rot, or one of the many other diseases and pests that afflict these trees. Hence the high number of pesticides and fungicides needed to get a high yield of stone fruit to market in unblemished condition. USDA data show that 96 percent of all peaches and 100 percent of imported nectarines test positive for pesticide residue. 6. Spinach Among the pesticides used on spinach (and lettuce) are acetamiprid and imidacloprid, two pesticides from the family known as neonicotinoids that are known neurotoxins. Also commonly used on celery, grapes, apples, spinach, lettuce, and most cruciferous vegetables (such as cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli), neonicotinoids are now restricted in Europe because of their effect on brain development in children. 7. Bell Peppers Residues of 15 pesticides were found on bell peppers, among them neurotoxic neonicotinoids, which harm bee colonies as well as people. 8. Cucumbers Among the 86 pesticides found on cucumbers were neurotoxins, suspected hormone disruptors, and probable carcinogens. Of particular concern is carbendazim, a fungicide that's considered a probable carcinogen. Carbendazim has been turning up in orange juice and many other food products, prompting FDA consumer health warnings. The average U.S. diet still falls short of the recommendations in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.