An apple a day may keep the doctor away—but it could also mean you're consuming potentially harmful levels of toxic pesticides.
Apples, along with grapes, strawberries, nectarines and spinach, top the list for the highest levels and widest variety of pesticides linked to cancer and reproductive problems, according to research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
This body warns that a combination of chemicals can cause greater damage to human health due to the toxins that are released when they interact.
Strawberries topped the list with an average of 7.8 different pesticides per sample, including carbendazim, which has been linked in studies to infertility and cancer.
Investigations have previously revealed that strawberries may be laden with carbendazim, as well as a compound called bifenthrin, which is believed to have potential neurological effects.
For the latest analysis, experts took samples from 46 fruits and vegetables, 12 of which were most contaminated with pesticides—including cabbage, pears, peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans.
The team analyzed tens of thousands of samples collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
A total of 209 pesticides were found in all 12 items, and 95 percent of the samples had traces of at least one chemical.
The most common chemicals detected were antifungal pesticides such as fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid and pyrimethanil.
Some studies suggest that fludioxonil may cause DNA damage, which could lead to increased cancer risk, according to the National Institutes of Health.
This body also warns that boscalid has been shown, in rare cases, to cause damage to cells that some scientists believe could lead to the development of cancerous tumors.
Pyrimethanil, although it has low toxicity to humans, has been shown to interfere with hormone regulation in animals, which can affect reproduction.
“Growing evidence suggests that many widely used fungicides may interfere with human hormonal systems,” said EWG senior toxicologist Dr. Alexis Temkin.
Spinach was another poor performer: tests detected an average of seven pesticides in samples of conventional spinach, with up to 19 different pesticides in one of the samples tested.
Three-quarters of the samples were contaminated with a neurotoxic insecticide, permethrin, which is banned for use in food cultivation in Europe.
In high doses, permethrin is believed to affect the nervous system, risking tremors and seizures.
The apples were found to contain very high levels of diphenylamine, which can damage various organs and systems of the body through continuous and long-term exposure.
It can be toxic to the blood, kidneys, liver, and bladder.
According to the European Commission, food businesses must ensure that what they produce or import complies with maximum safe residue levels.
However, the law does not specify a specific threshold.
Regarding the risk from multiple pesticides, the British lobby group Pesticide Action Network UK said: “The government sets safety limits for only one pesticide at a time, ignoring the growing body of evidence that chemicals can become more harmful when combined.”
"Several studies conducted on human cells and tissues have highlighted that pesticide mixtures can lead to the creation of cancer cells and interference with the endocrine system, which produces hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function and reproduction."
"Pesticide mixtures have been linked to obesity and impaired liver function, even when doses of individual chemicals are below safety levels set by regulators," the group added.
The EWG advised switching to organic foods or at least washing fruits and vegetables and removing the skin where possible.
Pesticides are applied to fruits and vegetables to prevent or eliminate fungal diseases such as mildew. They are often used after harvest to keep produce mold-free on its way to market.. /GazetaExpress/
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