A new study done by the Environmental Working Group has shown an even higher cause for concern with the amounts of pesticides in certain grocery fruits and vegetables.
According to CNN, recent research has found that some produce items contain higher amounts of pesticides than others, and as a result, higher amounts remain in the human system when consumed.
More specifically, those traces show up in human urine.
According to the lead author of the study, Alexis Temkin, "there are close to 200 different pesticides people may be exposed to, and it's impossible to monitor every single one of those in the human body. Now, we have a method to estimate pesticide levels in an individual's diet and then start to study any associated health effects."
The study showed a consistent amount of pesticides in human urine, per Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program.
"This tells us that we don't have to measure each person -- when people eat a lot of produce with high residues of pesticides, they're more likely to have elevated levels in their urine," said Birnbaum, who was not involved with the study. "And they are not looking at just one pesticide at a time. They're looking at an integrated measure of pesticide toxicity from a variety of chemicals. That's important because pesticides are associated with all sorts of adverse health effects."
Pesticides aren't only toxic to the pests they're meant to deter. They also seep into the fruits and vegetables consumers purchase, which can cause many adverse health effects over time.
A study published in the Heliyon scientific journal detailed long-term health impacts, corroborating what the EWG found. The cocktail of pesticides entering the human system from different types of produce is varied and, thus, can cause varied issues.
Over time, the buildup of toxicity can lead to birth defects in children, often due to genetic damage. Additionally, the pesticides found in the study's urine samples contained materials known to cause cancer and other chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
Instead, consumers need to be aware of how important it is to wash their fruits and vegetables. This includes fruit that has a peel, such as a banana. Soft produce can be gently rubbed beneath running water, and firm produce can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush, Temkin told CNN.
Outside of the home, the study hopes to capitalize on the newfound method of urine testing to identify pesticide levels in the average person and then present the evidence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for review.
Some farmers have begun implementing safer pest-prevention methods, and as discoveries progress, it is hoped that the amount of pesticides people consume will steadily decline.
💰Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices -- and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.