Eating conventionally-grown produce (in other words, food that is not organic) can expose you to pesticides. Depending on the dose, some pesticides may increase your risk for cancer, learning disabilities or other health concerns. This is especially the case for children. Farms that use pesticides to grow produce expose their fieldworkers to these toxic substances at high concentrations. These pesticides can also end up in our drinking water.
What you can do
• Eat organic food, which is the best choice if you can find and afford it. In some grocery stores, organic food is more expensive, but a local farmers market may have organic or less pesticide-intensive food that is more affordable.
• Buy organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables that are typically more contaminated, and save money by choosing conventional varieties of produce that are typically less contaminated. Environmental Working Group developed a pocket guide to help with decisions on what produce to buy.Avoid the most contaminated produce as much as possible.
• Become a member of community-supported agriculture—a program in which local farms will deliver a box of produce (often organic) to your door or a drop-off place in your neighborhood.
• Rinse and scrub your produce with a vegetable brush to reduce pesticide residues.
• Grow your own organic herbs or vegetables. Start with a few feet of garden space or containers on the window sill.
