Pesticides: Costs & Benefits
Over the years, there has been quite a bit of publicity surrounding the risks associated with consuming non-organic produce, which may be laced with harmful pesticides.
Clearly, it's a controversial topic. There are costs and benefits associated with the use of pesticides, but often times the negatives seem to be more prevalent than the positives. In fact, for every positive article on the benefits of pesticides, there are forty negative articles, so the bias is definitely towards the negative.
This led me to wonder: are there benefits towards pesticide use, and how do we balance those with the negative externalities affecting society and the environment.
Below is a cost benefit/analysis regarding pesticide use:
Costs
Clearly, it's a controversial topic. There are costs and benefits associated with the use of pesticides, but often times the negatives seem to be more prevalent than the positives. In fact, for every positive article on the benefits of pesticides, there are forty negative articles, so the bias is definitely towards the negative.
This led me to wonder: are there benefits towards pesticide use, and how do we balance those with the negative externalities affecting society and the environment.
Below is a cost benefit/analysis regarding pesticide use:
Costs
- Health problems associated with consuming pesticide-laced produce
- Pesticides that are resistant to breakdown may remain in the soil and water for long periods of time
- Long-term effects from consuming pesticides are unknown - the FDA sets tolerances for pesticides based on toxicity levels; however toxicity levels are tested for single pesticides, but little is known about the synergistic effects of exposure to multiple pesticides
- Environmental effects - 98% of of insecticides and herbicides reach a destination other than their target species
Benefits
- Reduces disease vectors (caused from insects & bacteria)
- Produces aesthetically pleasing produce
- Reduces pressure to expand land use (by increasing crop yields on farmland and reducing labor costs)
Reduces damage to structures (i.e. from termites)
- Health problems - use of non-harmful "organically certified" pesticides
- Environmental Effects - use of phermones (highly selective with negligible residues, reduces the use of harsher pesticides), use twist ties v. sprays (more effective at targeting species, without the environmental effects)
What Consumers Can Do
- Learn more about the produce you eat (70% of produce grown is laced with no pesticides at all)
- Selectively substitute for organic produce (especially for young children, since they have increased sensitivity towards pesticides), though it's important to note, even organic food uses pesticides
- Wash, peel, and cook produce - according to the FDA, up to 99% of pesticide residues can be removed from produce just by washing with large amounts of cold water (do NOT use soap) [make sure to peel skins from apples, pears, potatoes, and carrots]
- Trim off fat from meat, poultry, and fish - residues of some pesticides concentrate in animal fat
Produce with the most amount of pesticides
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Spinach
Nectarines
Celery
Pears
Cherries
Potatoes
Bell Peppers
Raspberries
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers
Squash
Grapes (Chile)
Produce with the least amount of pesticides
Sweet corn
Avocado
Pineapples
Plums
Brussel Sprouts
Eggplants
Cauliflower
Mangoes
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Onions
Broccoli
Bananas
Kiwi fruit
Papaya
Watermelon
Comments