Read the full article by Emma Gometz (SCI AM).
“Blueberries are nutritious and delicious and—if unwashed—likely coated in a film of pesticide residue.
The squidgy berries were highlighted by the annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ analysis from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which looks at what fruit and vegetables have the highest amount of pesticide residue based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Alongside the bluebs were spinach, kale, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears and potatoes.
The produce items highlighted by the report all fall under the legal limits on pesticide exposure as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But scientists still haven’t fully evaluated the effects of simultaneous exposures to many of these chemicals over a long period of time.
‘The benefits of eating fruits and vegetables definitely outweigh the risk of pesticide exposure,’ says Dayna de Montagnac, an associate scientist at EWG. ‘But we should be able to enjoy the benefits of having nutritious fruits and vegetables that are free of pesticide residues.'”…