Blueberries To Green Beans: Fruits & Vegetables With Maximum Pesticide Content

There are more than 1000 different types of pesticides used around the world to ensure that food is not damaged or destroyed by pests. Each of them brings its own toxicology to the table. Moreover, there are many of the older, less costly (off-patent) pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and lindane, which can remain for years in soil and water.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), pesticides are the leading cause of death by self poisoning, particularly in low and middle income nations. This includes agricultural workers who apply pesticides and anyone else in the immediate area during, and shortly after, pesticides are spread. For the general population, while the amount of pesticides they consume is low, the harm is caused majorly due to the pesticides that remain in their food and water.

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Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases the Dirty Dozen — a list of the 12 non-organic fruits and vegetables highest in pesticide residues.

Strawberries: Conventional strawberries consistently top the Dirty Dozen list. In 2023, the EWG found that 30% of all strawberry samples contained ten or more pesticide residues.

Spinach: 76% of spinach samples contained pesticide residues, including permethrin, a neurotoxic insecticide that is highly toxic to animals.

Kale, mustard, and collard greens: 86% of all samples of leafy greens were found to contain two or more pesticide residues, including the neurotoxins imidacloprid, bifenthrin and cypermethrin.

Peaches: Over 99% of the peaches tested by the EWG contained pesticide residues, with 65% containing at least four.

Pears: Over 63% of pears tested by the EWG contained residues from five or more pesticides.

Nectarines: The EWG detected residues in nearly 94% of nectarine samples, with one sample containing over 15 different pesticide residues.

Apples: The EWG detected pesticide residues in 90% of apple samples. What’s more, 80% of the apples tested contained traces of diphenylamine, a pesticide banned in Europe.

Grapes: Conventional grapes are a staple on the Dirty Dozen list, with over 96% testing positive for pesticide residues.

Bell and hot peppers: Sweet bell peppers contain fewer pesticide residues compared to other fruits and vegetables. Yet, the EWG cautions that pesticides used on sweet bell peppers "tend to be more toxic to human health."

Cherries: The EWG detected an average of five pesticide residues on cherry samples, including a pesticide called iprodione, which is banned in Europe.

Blueberries: The EWG found that 90% of blueberries had pesticide residues, with 80% containing two or more.

Green beans: The EWG added green beans to the Dirty Dozen list after finding that 90% of samples contained pesticides, including acephate, a neurotoxin banned by the EPA in 2011.

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