A way to avoid Pesticides of any kind on Vegetables

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ElliotB
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A way to avoid Pesticides of any kind on Vegetables

Post by ElliotB »

The only true way to avoid Pesticides on your vegetables aside from not eating any is to grow your own. Pesticides are even used with organically grown vegetables. It is a myth that they are pesticide free. You may find this article of interest:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sci ... riculture/


I only discovered this recently inspired by a recent thread posted here on TIMS about organic foods. As I have been consuming extremely large amounts of deep greens as recommended by Dr. Wahls, I became quite concerned about Pesticides on the veggies I have been eating, as the dark green vegetables that are highly recommended, like Spinach, Kale and Collard Greens are among the worst offenders when it comes to Pesticide residue.

You may find this link of interest (The 12 Dirtiest and 15 Cleanest Fruits and Vegetables)

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... 2/#slide12

And you may be surprised as to what is on the 'dirty' list...


I have, in recent weeks, given up my greens. I am eating limited veggies that are on the 'good' list But I also found a solution... you can grown your own. Hydroponics is a proven way to grow vegetables. A company called Aerogarden (https://www.aerogarden.com/) makes simple growing 'stations' that allow you to grow Pesticide free vegetables indoors. While they don't yield a lot, at least you can eat the produce with confidence that they are TOTALLY pesticide free. They use non-gmo seeds as well.

I bought my first Aerogarden in 2007, used it for a short time, and had not used it since. I just bought two more and have already begun growing some different greens/lettuces and Chinese cabbage. The great thing about these indoor gardens is that they are simple to use, very simple to use (and you cannot fail even if you know nothing about gardening), and of course the vegetables are totally pesticide free.

Drawbacks? Limited choice of seeds from Aerogarden, but I plan on experimenting with Hydroponics on my own. Apparently you can grow carrots and other vegetables indoors. The web is truly a wonderful thing. Non-GMO seeds for a large variety of veggies are readily available and should be compatible with the Aerogarden.

Hope you find this info interesting and useful. Good luck and good health!
savimavi
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Re: A way to avoid Pesticides of any kind on Vegetables

Post by savimavi »

Thanks for sharing this info re: the Aerogarden, it looks really interesting. I'm curious if you've had any fruit flies or other tiny flying insects invade the garden? That would be my only concern, as whenever I have houseplants they tend to attract tiny flying pests. I would love to try this, as I eat a lot of kale & have been concerned about pesticides even on organics.
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jimmylegs
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World Tour: Pesticide Regulation, Intensity Map

Post by jimmylegs »

Pesticide Residues in Commercial Lettuce, Onion, and Potato Samples From Bolivia—A Threat to Public Health? (2017)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/1 ... 0217704194

"Bolivia does not have a surveillance program for pesticide residues in food.... Data are lacking for all foods except tomatoes and breast milk. ... No samples contained concentrations of pesticides which alone or together would lead to exposures that exceeded the acceptable daily intake or the acute reference dose. To protect consumers from pesticide poisonings and chronic effects, the development of measures for prevention, control, and monitoring of food contamination by pesticides in Bolivia is suggested."

Occurrence of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables for the Eastern Mediterranean Region and potential impact on public health (2020)
https://bit.ly/3ap6kMr

Highlights
•We reviewed the literature on pesticides in fruits and vegetables in Middle East.
•Up to 61% of the samples contain insecticides above the authorized limits.
•Our assessment shows potential exceedance of the ARfD established by WHO.
•Pesticides known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have been reported.
•Better data and a comprehensive risk assessment are necessary at regional level.

Determination of pesticide residues in selected citrus fruits and vegetables cultivated in the Jordan Valley (2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3819313477

Several pesticides including chlorothalonil and daminozide exceeded MRL in the citrus fruits and vegetables and were found in high levels in the irrigation water and soils. The findings underscore the need for adequate training and enforcement of good agricultural practices in the region considered. Regular inspections and effective monitoring programs of pesticides in irrigation water and fresh produce are also warranted to protect public health.

The presence of pesticide residue in farmer market produce (2020)
thiabendazole residues in various produce sold at local farmers’ markets
https://journals.bcit.ca/index.php/ehj/article/view/33

"... Thiabendazole was detected in all of the citrus fruit samples, but was below detectable limits for all other fruits and vegetables. All Thiabendazole levels were below the Maximum Residue Level allowed by Health Canada. Conclusion: The various fruits and vegetables analyzed are all below the MRL, with only the citrus fruits having detectable concentrations."

Agricultural pesticide use and food safety: California's model (2015)
https://bit.ly/3tzIq8v

"...Twenty years' pesticide residue data from California's pesticide residue monitoring program were analyzed. Results showed that more than 95% of food samples were in compliance with US pesticide residue standards (tolerances). However, certain commodities from certain sources had high percentages of residues above tolerance levels. Even when residues above tolerance levels were detected, most were at levels well below 1 mg kg−1, and most posed negligible acute health risk. However, a few detected residues had the potential to cause health effects. Therefore, establishing an effective food residue monitoring program is important to ensure food quality throughout the marketplace."

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