Pesticides on Food 271
Pesticides on Food
Fruits and vegetables grown using pesticides usually still
have pesticides on them when we buy them. Meat, milk,
and eggs are often contaminated with pesticides used in
animal dips and sprays, or if livestock eat feed or grass
that contains pesticides and other chemicals.
When people eat or drink small amounts of
pesticides on their food day after day, poisons collect
in their bodies over time. These small amounts can
add up and cause long-term health problems.
To clean off most of the
Foods that have waxy
skins, like cucumbers
pesticides, wash fruits and
vegetables in soapy water
and apples, should be
peeled before eating.
(do not use detergents), in salt
water (5 spoonfuls of salt to 1 liter of water), or in water
with baking soda (2 teaspoons of baking soda in 1 liter of
water), then rinse in fresh water.
Do not eat the outer
leaves of leafy greens
like cabbage and
lettuce, because these
parts collect the most
pesticides.
Food grown without pesticides is much safer and
healthier, both for the people who eat it and the people
who grow it. Unfortunately, in many places it costs more
and can be hard to get. (For information on how to grow
food without toxic chemicals, see Chapter 15.)
Pest Control at Home
People everywhere use poisons in their
homes to kill mosquitoes, ants, flies,
cockroaches, termites, fleas, rats, and
other pests. But many of the poisons
used on these creatures can also harm people.
Farm workers often bring field pesticides home to kill pests
around the house. But using pesticides in closed areas makes them
much more harmful. It is best to leave farm chemicals at work, and
to use other methods to control pests at home.
There are many ways to control pests without chemicals. These ways are
safer and less costly than pesticides and may work just as well. (For other
ways to keep chemicals out of your home, see Chapter 17.)
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012