Researchers have found out the effect of consumed foods on the level of pesticides

A study by Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists has shown that the consumption of certain types of fruits and vegetables can contribute to an increase in the level of pesticides in the body. They are associated with cancer, reproductive disorders, hormonal disruptions and neutrotoxicity in children. This is reported by the Medical Xpress magazine.

Residual traces of these chemicals are often found in agricultural products, which raises concerns about their impact on consumers.

"The results of the study confirm that what we eat directly affects the level of pesticides in our body. Eating vegetables and fruits is essential for a healthy diet, but it can also increase exposure to pesticides," said Alexis Temkin, PhD, vice president of science at EWG and lead author of the study.

The study participants who consumed more fruits and vegetables with a high content of pesticide residues (strawberries, spinach, bell peppers) had higher levels of chemicals in biological materials compared to those who ate foods with a low content of pesticides. According to Temkin, the study was based on previous work demonstrating that certain fruits and vegetables are the main route of pesticide exposure for millions of Americans. Young children and pregnant women are particularly susceptible to harmful effects.

As part of the analysis, EWG scientists combined data from the US Department of Agriculture on the content of pesticides in products from 2013 to 2018 with answers to nutrition questions and the results of urine biomonitoring of 1837 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) for 2015-2016 conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — the most up-to-date data on tracking pesticides..

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Using this data, the scientists created a "dietary pesticide exposure scale" to assess pesticide exposure based on the fruits and vegetables consumed by participants and the level of chemicals in them. The pesticide content in the products was determined by the frequency and quantity of chemicals detected. The experts also took into account the concentration and toxicity of each pesticide.

Subsequently, the scientists compared the results with 15 biomarkers of pesticides in the biological materials of each participant for three main classes — organophosphates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids. The results showed a clear relationship between certain foods and the levels of pesticides detected, depending on the diet and chemicals in the products.

The EWG study included a number of important findings. It is emphasized that the diet is important, since the consumption of products with a high content of pesticide residues is more strongly associated with their detection in biological materials.

In addition, some classes of pesticides require closer attention. Currently, NHANES is tracking only a fraction of the chemicals in food products as part of the study, but people are also exposed to a wide range of agricultural chemicals. The study also confirmed that people are exposed to several pesticides at the same time. Measurable residues of 178 different pesticides were found in fruits and vegetables, but only 42 of them corresponded to the biomarkers in the analyses.

The scientists also note that the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the level of pesticides in the body was evident only after excluding potatoes from the analysis. It clarifies that its consumption made it difficult to obtain the results of the study, presumably due to the fact that people eat it in different ways, which makes it difficult to assess the impact.

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While most research on pesticides focuses on occupational and household impacts, the EWG study shows that everyday food choices can also be a significant source of pesticide exposure in the population. Given the widespread exposure to pesticides, serious questions remain about whether current pesticide safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are sufficient to protect public health.

Despite years of analysis, the agency still sets limits for individual pesticides, without taking into account the cumulative effects of mixtures of residues that are regularly found in product samples during testing by the US Department of Agriculture. It is assumed that their methods of assessing the effects of pesticides on fruits and vegetables can provide regulators and other researchers with a powerful tool to assess the real impact and better protect vulnerable populations.

"This study was only made possible by reliable federal data that highlights why strong public health authorities should remain a top priority for policy makers. Pesticide residue tests and CDC biomonitoring data represent the type of important research that only the government can provide, on a scale that neither the private sector nor academic efforts can match," said EWG research analyst Varun Subramaniam.

The researchers recommend eating a lot of fruits and vegetables grown both in the traditional and organic way. It has also been proven that switching from conventional products to organic ones, which cannot be grown using specific pesticides, significantly reduces the level of biomarkers of chemicals in the body within a few days.

Earlier, on August 8, Vladimir Neronov, an infectious disease specialist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), reported that the consumption of vegetables and fruits, regardless of the time of fertilization of plants, can affect the concentration of macro- and microelements in fruits that can lead to poisoning. He recommended not eating fruits for an average of two weeks.

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