Cocktail of pesticides in almost all oranges and
grapes, UK study finds
Traces of 122 different pesticides in 12 most polluted
fruit and veg products, many with links to cancer
Every fruit or vegetable on the list contains two or
more types of pesticide, with some containing up to 25.
Helena
Horton
Wed 29 Sep
2021 06.00 BST
Almost all
grapes and oranges contain a “cocktail of pesticides” according to research,
which has singled out the most polluted fruit and vegetables in our shopping
trolleys.
Each year,
the government tests samples of groceries for chemicals to see if traces can be
found in Britain’s food.
The
official figures, analysed by Pesticide Action Network (PAN), found 122
different pesticides in the 12 most polluted products, which the charity calls
the “dirty dozen”. Many of these are hazardous to human health; 61% are
classified as highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), a concept used by the UN to
identify those substances most harmful to human health or the environment.
The list of
pesticides includes 47 with links to cancer, 15 “reproductive or developmental
toxins” that can have adverse effects on sexual function and fertility, and 17
cholinesterase inhibitors that can impair the respiratory system and cause
confusion, headaches and weakness. A quarter of the pesticides found are
suspected endocrine disruptors that can interfere with hormone systems, causing
an array of health problems including birth defects and developmental
disorders.
Every fruit
or vegetable on the list contains two or more types of pesticide, with some containing
up to 25. Although the levels of individual pesticides are within legal limits,
activists fear the combination of multiple chemicals could be particularly
damaging to people’s health.
Nick Mole
from PAN UK said: “These figures highlight the wide array of chemicals that we
are exposed to daily through our diets. While safety limits continue to be set
for just one pesticide at a time, the evidence is growing that chemicals can
combine to be more toxic, a phenomenon known as the cocktail effect.”
There are
also gaps in the data. This year the government chose to test only three of the
12 types of fruit and vegetables from last year’s dirty dozen list compiled by
PAN. Strawberries, lemons and pre-packed salad, which topped the previous list,
were not tested so there is no way of knowing if the amount of pesticides on
these products was reduced.
A
spokesperson for PAN said there was no real way to avoid ingesting pesticides,
other than campaigning for a reduction in their use.
“The best
way for people to avoid pesticides is to buy organic. Of course, almost no one
in the UK can financially afford or access a fully organic diet so that is why
we publish the dirty dozen – to help consumers prioritise which produce to
avoid,” she said.
“In terms
of washing, it should remove some residues on the skin of a product (which will
often be fungicides used to prevent rotting during storage and transportation).
However, many modern pesticides are what are called ‘systemic’ which means that
they are absorbed into the plant and distributed throughout its tissues,
reaching any fruits or flowers. As a result, pesticide residues are often
contained within the body of the produce itself and therefore washing the
surface won’t remove them.”
It is also
recommended that consumers buy from EU countries as well as the UK, as the EU
has by far the most protective pesticide regime in the world and is far more
likely to ban a pesticide due to concerns over the harms it causes. The UK
regime currently mirrors the EU regime.
There are
also environmental implications: half of the top 12 pesticides found are
groundwater contaminants, meaning they persist in water bodies, potentially
affecting aquatic biodiversity or drinking water quality. The list includes the
neonicotinoid acetamiprid which, while thought to be less toxic to pollinators
than other neonicotinoids, PAN says could still represent a potential threat to
bee health.
Mole added:
“Consumers presume that their food has been through rigorous testing and that
if an item is available for sale in the UK then it must be safe. Unfortunately,
this is not necessarily the case. We actually have very limited understanding
of the long-term impacts to human health of consuming small amounts of tens of
different pesticides every day of our lives.”
A
spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:
“All food sold in the UK must meet strict rules on pesticide residue to ensure
it is safe to eat. These are enforced via a comprehensive residues monitoring
programme overseen by an independent specialist body and in 2020 more than 97%
of tested samples were compliant.
“However we
continue to encourage a move away from chemical pest control, and recently
consulted on a national action plan which aims to minimise the impacts of
pesticides and increase the uptake of safer alternatives.”
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