M8.3 Pesticides

For my meal last night I had eggplant, green beans and apples. I was surprised to find so many pesticides listed for all three "healthy" options. 44 pesticide residues were found in green beans, 18 in eggplants and 14 in apples. Some of the pesticide residues were known neurotoxins, developmental toxins or even carcinogens. One of the most common pesticide residues found was acephate, which is found 28% of the time in eggplants. It is also found in green beans, bell peppers, cranberries and many others. It can be neurotoxic, carcinogenic and disruptive to the body's hormones.

It is discouraging to see that pesticide residues can still be present in our food even though we may wash it thoroughly. The videos presented on this module was also concerning as farmers such as cotton farmers are poisoning their bodies to produce "healthy" crops. Legislative policies should be enacted to address this problem - including stricter regulations of pesticides allowed in the U.S. as well as internationally.