There’s a lot of people asking that question these days, thanks to the growing interest in pesticide-free food and mounting concern about its dangers. According to the evidence, a normal meal contains a mix of pesticides and their resulting breakdown products.
The Pesticide Action Network is at the forefront of educating the public to raise awareness on chemical exposure. Their new database on pesticide residues lists such contaminants as carcinogenic, endocrine (hormone disrupting) neurotoxic, or those toxic to reproduction or development.
Even the most organic farmer or followers of a totally organic lifestyle cannot escape these toxins entirely. With air and water currents and weather patterns, all carrying residue, even certified organic produce cannot be totally pesticide free. This list, however, helps one discern the lowest levels.
The most alarming factor is that one group, organophosphates, pollutes the food supply in terrifying proportions. Neurotoxins, they are responsible for farm worker poisonings. Endosulfan, which is marketed under a few varieties, leads the list as most highly present on commercially grown tomatoes. Like DDT, it is long lasting in the environment. As an endocrine disruptor, even in low levels during pregnancy, is has been linked to birth defects, autism and male reproductive damage. Higher levels which are most common among farm workers include nausea, headache, seizures, vomiting and even death.
Currently, there are no regulations in place that requires toxicity testing of any of these compounds before they are sold for public use. Under the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976, only 5 out of the 80,000 synthetic chemicals have been banned. Once a compound is released for use, it is extremely difficult to get it taken off the market. Lindane, for example, is a chemical found in children’s lice shampoos, is currently banned in over 50 countries, yet the United States still permits its use. Atrazine, a chemical in popular lawn chemicals such as Weed-B-Gone, is one of the most prevalent substances found in water and soil, animal, aquatic life and humans. It is banned in Europe.
It is time for chemical reform. We can no longer be blind or placated by false promises and lies from Dow, Monsanto, Bayer and others. These substances affect us NOW. With alarming instances of birth defects, cancer and environmental impact, there is not a minute to waste.
Americans spread MILLIONS of tons of toxic lawn chemicals in their yards every year. Obsessed with eliminating every pest, every weed, they ignore the fact that they are exposing their children and pets to POISON.
Advocating non-chemical remedies, I have never put chemicals down, and never will. I know too much. I’ve never really understood the obsession Americans have about having the perfect lawn. My lawn is green, I mow it, and that’s IT. Why poison yourself, your kids and the eco-system for a lawn?
I worked for Lowe’s in the garden center for 5 years. Each week I’d watch thousands of pounds of poison go out the door in this one store. People were fanatical about their lawns and didn’t even think about what they were doing! A common, and especially toxic product, 2-4-D is found in the popular brand WEED-B-GONE.
Ironically, part of my job was to sell lawn care products. I hated it. It went against everything I believe in. I’m an environmentalist and I jokingly refer to chemicals as being ‘against my religion.’ I would always opt for pitching the lowest toxicity remedy.
One day a man came in with his three children in tow, their approximate ages being 7, 5 and 3. He wanted Diazinon. I said it’s been banned for almost 10 years now, but the replacement was Triazicide. We walked over to where the bags were stacked and I answered his questions.
During the conversation, one of the kids started smacking the bag of Triazicide with her hand, like petting a big dog on the head. The father jumped forward, yanked the kid’s hand away and shouted,
“DON’T TOUCH THAT, it’s POISON!”
I wanted to reply in a calm but sarcastic voice…..
“Yes, it’s POISON and you’re going to take it home, spread it on your lawn and then your kids and dog are going to go out and play in it!”
Children are especially susceptible to illness resulting from pesticide exposure. Instead of rehashing the articles, I’ve included links below.
ALL lawn chemicals like TRIAZICIDE, WEED-B-GONE are DANGEROUS - PERIOD! (no, you can’t use them on your veggie gardens, folks!)
Not only are these substances dangerous for children, but they are dangerous for adults, pets and the environment. It’s time to end the love affair with toxins because the health of your family - and the planet - depends on it.
You can help speed the detox process by taking a detox bath on a regular basis, doing juice fasts and getting more exercise and having a regular massage. This will help eliminate toxins from your body.
WHAT’S ON YOUR LAWN?
Is the health of your lawn more important than the health of your children?
An article appeared in Reuters on children on medication for ADHD having hallucinations. Why is this no surprise?
The use of Ritalin and its cousins, all nervous system excitants, became the drug of choice during the 80s and 90s. Ritalin is one of the most over prescribed drugs on the market today. Although certain criteria should be met before assuming a child truly is ADHD, many physicians and parents are too quick to assume their child truly is ADHD, when all that may be needed is a ‘cleaner’ diet.
We’ve all seen kids bounce off the walls after eating high doses of sugar, haven’t we? Why is it so strange to some that FOOD may actually be the cause of supposed ADHD in your kid?
The typical American diet is loaded with sugar and chemical additives. Browse any supermarket aisle containing lunch items and you will find a disturbing array of ‘food-like substances’ designed for convenience for Moms packing kids’ school lunches. Food marketed as ‘healthy’ or a ‘good, nutritious lunch for your kids’ or ‘healthy snacks’ often contains more artificial ingredients than real, actual food. Even so-called healthy yogurts: low or no fat varieties of one popular brand, Yoplait, have a scary list of artificial ingredients.
Don’t fall for the claims of fast-food purveyors, either. Every parent.., no.., make that every person, should read ‘Fast Food Nation’ by Eric Schlosser if you eat fast food. Morgan Spurlock’s book, “Supersize Me”, which came out after the academy nominated movie, gives a behind-the-scenes look at McDonald’s and the fast food industry. I guarantee, you’ll never feel the same about eating out after reading these two books.
ADHD is a real condition due to the brain’s neural transmissions and actual brain development. Rather than assuming your kid IS actually ADHD and is not just being a ‘normal’ kid with that kid energy, don’t automatically go for the doctor’s insistence on a drug regimen. Parents should consider a natural approach first. What is your child eating during the day? What IS IN their food that might be causing this?
Consulting with a licensed nutritionist or dietitian, having a chemical analysis done might be a good first step. A cleaner diet, free of artificial chemicals, all sugars, no soda - might go a long way to helping the child. Because studies have indicated that there are an average of 1,000 household toxins in a child’s home environment, eliminating these elements may also have some bearing.
As an old friend used to say: “Start simple.” It may be the most beneficial way to help your child.
In the book, Anti Cancer - A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, Phd, the author tells of two different studies on the prevalence of pesticides in children.
A researcher in Washington state conducted a series of tests on 42 children, ages 2 to 5. As families were leaving either a conventional grocery store or an organic co-op, they asked the parents if they would write down everything their children ate or drank for three days. Their diets were determined to be ‘organic’ if more than 75% of the food consumed was from organic sources; and ‘conventional’ if it wasn’t.
After measuring the amount of pesticides present in the children’s urine, she found that the amount of pesticides in the ‘organic’ children’s urine was one sixth that of the ‘conventional’ children’s levels and far below the EPA’s level of minimum exposure rate. The children on the ‘conventional’ diet had levels more than four times above the safe exposure limit set by the EPA.
The second study was done over a period of 15 days on 23 children. Their urine was tested after eating a ‘conventional’ diet for several days, and it showed the presence of pesticides. Then their diet was switched to completely organic foods. Within days, all traces of pesticides were gone from the urine samples. Upon starting on the conventional diet again, their levels quickly resumed.
Since 1940 the production of pesticides and synthetic chemicals has increased to over 150 MILLION TONS a YEAR. Much of the chemicals go into food production, personal care products, household cleaners, manufacture of common construction materials, clothing and every day items. Due to increased exposure of pesticides & synthetic chemicals, cancer rates have increased.
For more information, read the above mentioned book. It is a true eye-opener.
http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/447
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ExposureReport/pdf/factsheet_organochlorine.pdf