CNN: 'Dirty dozen' produce carries more pesticide residue, group says

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide/

'Dirty dozen' produce carries more pesticide residue, group says


s enough being done to protect us from chemicals that could harm us? Watch "Toxic America," a special two-night investigative report with Sanjay Gupta, M.D., June 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

(CNN) -- If you're eating non-organic celery today, you may be ingesting 67 pesticides with it, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.

The group, a nonprofit focused on public health, scoured nearly 100,000 produce pesticide reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine what fruits and vegetables we eat have the highest, and lowest, amounts of chemical residue.

Most alarming are the fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Dirty Dozen," which contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. These foods are believed to be most susceptible because they have soft skin that tends to absorb more pesticides.

"It's critical people know what they are consuming," the Environmental Working Group's Amy Rosenthal said. "The list is based on pesticide tests conducted after the produce was washed with USDA high-power pressure water system. The numbers reflect the closest thing to what consumers are buying at the store."

Special report: Toxic America

The group suggests limiting consumption of pesticides by purchasing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables.

"You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen," Rosenthal said.

The Dirty Dozen

Celery

Peaches

Strawberries

Apples

Domestic blueberries

Nectarines

Sweet bell peppers

Spinach, kale and collard greens

Cherries

Potatoes

Imported grapes

Lettuce

Not all non-organic fruits and vegetables have a high pesticide level. Some produce has a strong outer layer that provides a defense against pesticide contamination. The group found a number of non-organic fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Clean 15" that contained little to no pesticides.

The Clean 15

Onions

Avocados

Sweet corn

Pineapples

Mango

Sweet peas

Asparagus

Kiwi fruit

Cabbage

Eggplant

Cantaloupe

Watermelon

Grapefruit

Sweet potatoes

Sweet onions

What is a pesticide?

A pesticide is a mixture of chemical substances used on farms to destroy or prevent pests, diseases and weeds from affecting crops. According to the USDA, 45 percent of the world's crops are lost to damage or spoilage, so many farmers count on pesticides.

The Environmental Protection Agency, the FDA and the USDA work together to monitor and set limits as to how much pesticide can be used on farms and how much is safe to remain on the produce once it hits grocery store shelves.

"In setting the tolerance amount, the EPA must make a safety finding that the pesticide can be used with 'reasonable certainty of no harm.' The EPA ensures that the tolerance selected will be safe," according the EPA's website.

Although the President's Cancer Panel recently recommended that consumers eat produce without pesticides to reduce their risk of getting cancer and other diseases, the low levels of pesticides found on even the Dirty Dozen are government-approved amounts.

Can small amounts of pesticides hurt you?

The government says that consuming pesticides in low amounts doesn't harm you, but some studies show an association between pesticides and health problems such as cancer, attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and nervous system disorders and say exposure could weaken immune systems.

The Environmental Working Group acknowledges that data from long-term studies aren't available but warns consumers of the potential dangers.

"Pesticides are designed to kill things. Why wait for 20 years to discover they are bad for us?" Rosenthal said.

Some doctors warn that children's growing brains are the most vulnerable to pesticides in food.

"A kid's brain goes through extraordinary development, and if pesticides get into the brain, it can cause damage," said Dr. Philip Landrigan, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Can pesticides be washed away?

Not necessarily. The pesticide tests mentioned above were conducted after the food had been power-washed by the USDA. Also, although some pesticides are found on the surface of foods, other pesticides may be taken up through the roots and into the plant and cannot be removed.

"We've found that washing doesn't do much," Rosenthal said. "Peeling can help, although you have to take into account that the pesticides are in the water, so they can be inside the fruit because of the soil."

All fresh produce, whether it's grown with or without pesticides, should be washed with water to remove dirt and potentially harmful bacteria. And health experts agree that when it comes to the Dirty Dozen list, choose organic if it's available.

"To the extent you can afford to do so, [parents] should simply buy organic, because there have been some very good studies that shows people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides [in their body] in two weeks," Landrigan said.
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geoffj4
CNN very irresponsible journalism, so you don't feel you need to call 1 farmer? Instead just post a recommendations from a Washington DC based special interest group? Google Steve Savage for an article called "Two Radically Different Views of Celery." He takes the same data EWG uses and pulls a lot... more
CNN very irresponsible journalism, so you don't feel you need to call 1 farmer? Instead just post a recommendations from a Washington DC based special interest group? Google Steve Savage for an article called "Two Radically Different Views of Celery." He takes the same data EWG uses and pulls a lot more info than this tired old list. less
10 minutes ago | Like | Report abuse
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KeithNSoJax
No one should eat pesticides if at all possible, but we have to face the facts: 1) The planet could only sustain about 1/3 of us without intense agriculture that uses pesticides and fertilizers from non-organic sources, 2) Organic doesn't mean safe. It means they haven't been sprayed with pesticid... more
No one should eat pesticides if at all possible, but we have to face the facts: 1) The planet could only sustain about 1/3 of us without intense agriculture that uses pesticides and fertilizers from non-organic sources, 2) Organic doesn't mean safe. It means they haven't been sprayed with pesticides &/or they've used something "organic" as an alternative to "chemicals". Organic fertilizers (i.e. manure) are sources of diseases like E-Coli. Nicotine Sulfate is an organic pesticide that is capable of killing people. Largely OMRI has done a great disservice by using opinion based logic instead of science in promoting "the organic agenda". They lead people to believe a world without pesticides is better than the world we live in but fail to address how we'd deal with mass starvation if we adopted their ideas. As someone starving in a poor African nation whether they'd pefer a little bit of food from organic sources, or enough food to feed their family every day for the next 50 years. less
36 minutes ago | Like (2) | Report abuse
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Susanhh
If the planet could only sustain 1/3 of us if we all ate organic (interesting) - I guess I will be among the elite who can afford to eat the organic stuff.
29 minutes ago | Like (1) | Report abuse
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luap1
For real, don't you think we as a culture have gone overboard on the yuppie hippie green fad thing? Now were going to have all these hemp lovers, trying to convince me to drink hemp milk at $8 per gallon. I can't afford that. Good bye prostate. I am going to loose you in a few years at this rate... more
For real, don't you think we as a culture have gone overboard on the yuppie hippie green fad thing? Now were going to have all these hemp lovers, trying to convince me to drink hemp milk at $8 per gallon. I can't afford that. Good bye prostate. I am going to loose you in a few years at this rate. less
1 hour ago | Like (2) | Report abuse
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Susanhh
Fresh goat's milk is what's in my glass. All you need is a little space - and of course, a goat (mine is named Bubbles).
29 minutes ago | Like | Report abuse
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luap1
Great, I'm 42 and NOW YOU TELL ME!!!! I am going to have to kiss my black prostate goodbye. Good bye cruel world. I had fun while I was hear. Oh the women. oohhhh the woment.. memories, sweet memories..
1 hour ago | Like (3) | Report abuse
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krohleder
Unfortunately the earth cannot sustain "organic" farming for the massive population of humans. So large scale farming with large scale pesticides is the future. Hopefully we can find safer ways, on a large scale, to fight plant disease and pests.
1 hour ago | Like (8) | Report abuse
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Artboy34
Might this not be another indication of how irresponsible the American public has become? In other words, people are placing the responsibility of knowing what's in the food they eat — the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the products they use — on someone else's shoulders, then screaming blo... more
Might this not be another indication of how irresponsible the American public has become? In other words, people are placing the responsibility of knowing what's in the food they eat — the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the products they use — on someone else's shoulders, then screaming bloody murder when they don't like what's brought to their attention. It's not a matter of blind trust; it's a matter of being too lazy (busy, ignorant, apathetic) to become knowledgeable about the world around them. less
1 hour ago | Like (11) | Report abuse
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Susanhh
Those of us who plant a small garden will survive. So the responsible, non-lazy ones will be ok. Pretty cool how that works.
27 minutes ago | Like (3) | Report abuse
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delatopia
Ah, more libertarian twaddle. Thanks to youdaman for pointing out that libertarianism is fundamentally uncivilized and dog eat dog.
1 hour ago | Like (2) | Report abuse
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YouDaMan
Not everyone has the time or resources to learn everything about everything. That's why we entrust others to do it. It's called specialization, and it's the foundation of civilization.
1 hour ago | Like (25) | Report abuse
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Wzrd1
Pesticide in simple terms, the predominant ones in use are organophosphate poisons.In english, a milder form of nerve gas. Their method of action is to block nerve action, by leaving certain nerves "turned on".A side effect of organophosphate poisons is sexual dysfunction, nervous system problems, i... more
Pesticide in simple terms, the predominant ones in use are organophosphate poisons.
In english, a milder form of nerve gas.
Their method of action is to block nerve action, by leaving certain nerves "turned on".
A side effect of organophosphate poisons is sexual dysfunction, nervous system problems, immune problems and cancers.
But, the industry lobbiests want the pesticides, to gain a better yield of the crops.
WE pay the price with the above mentioned maladies.
Interestingly, other nations, in particular the EU don't have this issue. less
2 hours ago | Like (4) | Report abuse
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hosscartrite
I'm sorry but the Government's assertion that eating "low levels" of pesticides is not harmful is just plain stupid; what about having a goal of reducing or eliminating pesticides? How can you be okay with ingesting chemicals, even at a low level? "Well, the govt said it was okay, so I guess it is,,... more
I'm sorry but the Government's assertion that eating "low levels" of pesticides is not harmful is just plain stupid; what about having a goal of reducing or eliminating pesticides? How can you be okay with ingesting chemicals, even at a low level? "Well, the govt said it was okay, so I guess it is,,,,,," less
3 hours ago | Like (15) | Report abuse
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Xavier1216
Don't forget your morning coffee, afternoon smoke, and evening drink. Or do those chemicals not count because you don't want them to?
27 minutes ago | Like (1) | Report abuse
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schnauzer2
If as the article purports "...some very good studies that shows people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides [in their body] in two weeks..." shows that either we are fully capable of breaking them down and excreting them or they don't do anything more than pass through. Unl... more
If as the article purports "...some very good studies that shows people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides [in their body] in two weeks..." shows that either we are fully capable of breaking them down and excreting them or they don't do anything more than pass through. Unlike things like mercury and lead, that build up and cause major health problems. I am not advocating going out and drinking these pesticides, but if our bodies are fully capable of getting rid of them than their benefits outweigh the risk (at least for adults) less
1 hour ago | Like (1) | Report abuse
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dotjackel
If you eliminate the pesticides all together, you would be leaving the crops vulnerable to diseases and insects. This would not only potentially devastate entire crops, but it would also reduce the nation's food supply. As it is, pesticides are a necessary by-product of massive farms.
2 hours ago | Like (3) | Report abuse
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CBadTerrible
I worked on a peach/nectarine farm when I was growing up. I'd pick a peach or two off the packing line after it had only gone through a body of cold water to clean off any leaves. When I found out the ones who spray the fruit with pesticides wear full protection gear with gas masks did I realize wha... more
I worked on a peach/nectarine farm when I was growing up. I'd pick a peach or two off the packing line after it had only gone through a body of cold water to clean off any leaves. When I found out the ones who spray the fruit with pesticides wear full protection gear with gas masks did I realize what an idiot I was... less
3 hours ago | Like (9) | Report abuse
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bobhog
This story mentions "non-organic" fruits and veggies. What about "organic"?
3 hours ago | Like (2) | Report abuse
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loreebee2
Read again. To reduce the pesticides consumed by 80%, buy organic fruits/veggies of the 12 listed.
1 hour ago | Like (1) | Report abuse
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bobhog
Still not as many chemicals as found on a Jersey Shore star.
3 hours ago | Like (13) | Report abuse
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Jakedog030
Nothing is safe anymore. It's all luck of the draw. When your number is up, it's up.
4 hours ago | Like (10) | Report abuse
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michaelinita
Another fallacy in this article is that vegetables with stronger outer layers would be safer than another. An uniformed person would assume that the pesticides is applied when the fruit of the plant is already formed, but it is not. It normally is applied when the fruit is in it's infancy and is has... more
Another fallacy in this article is that vegetables with stronger outer layers would be safer than another. An uniformed person would assume that the pesticides is applied when the fruit of the plant is already formed, but it is not. It normally is applied when the fruit is in it's infancy and is has not grown a hard outer layer. In fact if you think about applying a pesticide when the plant is only days or weeks old, it is like getting a cut on your finger when you are 6 years old, by the time you are a adult, that skin has been replaced many times over and is no longer visible. If the plant has a 30 or 60 day cycle, by the time it is harvested, the amount of pesticide that remains is only measurable (MRL) is by the parts per million. No it is not the best way to grow a plant, but if pesticides were not used, and the crop yield was 1/4 of the current yeild, would you pay $6 a pound for salad? And by the way, organic products use pesticides as well, they are just organic pesticides. less
5 hours ago | Like (18) | Report abuse
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EmmaEnigma
This doesn't sound right. What farmer is spraying 50-odd different chemicals on his crops? Does this mean 47 to 67 parts per billion or something? The math seems off, but then, the article is not very detailed.
6 hours ago | Like (7) | Report abuse
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AusieSceptic
do a net search on IPM (integrated pest management) depending on the crop potential problems resulting in loss of profit can arise from fungus infection, weed growth and insect damage. to prevent the target species developing an immunity a variety of chemicals are used in rotation
5 hours ago | Like (7) | Report abuse
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jabbertk2
So, this story is garbage? Is that why autism and multiple sclerosis rates are through the roof? Oh ya, the hundreds of chemicals that we all now consume which have only been in existence for a decade or two aren't doing us any harm, right? Thank you CNN, despite how much this story ticks off the c... more
So, this story is garbage? Is that why autism and multiple sclerosis rates are through the roof? Oh ya, the hundreds of chemicals that we all now consume which have only been in existence for a decade or two aren't doing us any harm, right? Thank you CNN, despite how much this story ticks off the chemical industry! less
7 hours ago | Like (19) | Report abuse