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Traces of of harmful chemicals were detected on cucumbers
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Washing fruits and vegetables before eating them is common practice in most households. However, new research suggests that this might not be enough to eliminate potentially harmful pesticides from your produce. Experts at Anhui Agricultural University in China used a highly sensitive film to detect traces of chemicals that other tests might miss. Their tests on apples, cucumbers, shrimp, and rice found that washing foods did not completely remove pesticide residues linked to liver cancer.
The scientists argue that their findings show washing fruits and vegetables is insufficient and suggest peeling foods like apples and cucumbers instead. In their study, published in the journal Nano Letters, they concluded: "The risk of pesticide ingestion from fruits cannot be avoided by simple washing alone, but peeling can effectively reduce the hazards of pesticides in the fruit's skin and near-skin pulp."
But is peeling our fruits and vegetables truly crucial for protecting our long-term health?
For the study, the researchers sprayed the fruit with pesticides thiram and carbendazim, then washed them to mimic the everyday practices of millions of families. Using their special film, they demonstrated that washing wasn't enough to remove the presence of these pesticides, which could still be detected at "low concentrations." The researchers replicated the study on other foods, including cucumbers, shrimp, chili powder, and rice, which produced similar results showing pesticide contamination.
Studies were made on other fruits like apples
Carbendazim has been shown in some animal studies to increase the risk of liver cancer, while thiram has been linked to developmental problems in unborn children and skin irritation, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. High exposure to carbendazim is associated with headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and movement issues. However, neither thiram nor carbendazim are approved for use in most countries.
While most food may be grown using these pesticides and sold on supermarket shelves, the traces are too low to cause the harmful effects found in studies. Separate studies on pesticides, in general, have linked exposure to an increased risk of cancers in people. One recent study even claimed pesticides had a greater impact on cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and bladder cancer than smoking.
However, experts emphasize that the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables far outweigh the risks posed by consuming foods with negligible amounts of pesticides.
