The twin controversies in 2003 regarding pesticide content in bottled drinking water and aerated beverages in India hardly came as a surprise to many working with the environment and in farming. The pesticide problem is compounded in India because many pesticides banned abroad are manufactured / dumped and sold freely here. Pesticides are not bio-degradable, are highly toxic and find their way into ground water and water bodies, contaminating them and rendering them unfit for drinking purposes. Remember that even if you blame (though rightly-so) a beverage manufacturer for allowing pesticide residues in their products and treating human life so cheaply, the fact remains that pesticides entered the water supply in the first place only because of the agriculture system which used them.
These are some of the pesticides you can find in the food you eat. The list is not, unfortunately, exhaustive. To know how some of these pesticides affect humans and the environment, click here.
|
Food product |
Contaminant pesticides |
|
Apples |
Diphenylamine, Captan, Endosulfan, Phosmet, Azinphos-methyl |
|
Bananas |
Diazinon, Thiabendazone, Carbaryl |
|
Bell Peppers |
Methamidophos, Chlorpyrifos, Dimethoate, Acephate, Endosulfan |
|
Broccoli |
DCPA, Methamidophos, Demeton, Dimethoate, Parathion |
|
Cabbage |
Methamidophos, Dimethoate, Fenvalerate, Permethrin, BHC |
|
Cantaloupes |
Methamidophos, Endosulfan, Chlorothalonil, Dimethoate, Methyl Parathion |
|
Carrots |
DDT, Trifluralin, Parathion, Diazinon, Dieldrin |
|
Cauliflower |
Methamidophos, Endosulfan, Dimethoate, Chlorothalonil, Diazion |
|
Celery |
Dicloran, Chlorothalonil, Endosulfan, Acephate, Methamidophos |
|
Cherries |
Parathion, Malathion, Captan, Dicloran, Diazinon |
|
Corn |
Sulfallate, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Dieldrin, Lindane |
|
Cucumbers |
Methamidophos, Endosulfan, Dieldrin, Chlorpyrifos, Dimethoate |
|
Grapefruit |
Thiabendazole, Ethion, Methidathion, Chlorobenzilate, Carbaryl |
|
Grapes |
Captan, Dimethoate, Dicloran, Carbaryl, Iprodione |
|
Green Beans |
Dimethoate, Methamidophos, Endosulfan, Acephate, Chlorothalonil |
|
Lettuce |
Mevinphos, Endosulfan, Permethrin, Dimethoate, Methomyl |
|
Onions |
DCPA, DDT, Ethion, Diazinon, Malathion |
|
Oranges |
Methidathion, Chlorpyrifos, Ethion, Parathin, Carbary |
|
Peaches |
Dicloran, Captan, Parathion, Carbaryl, Endosulfan |
|
Pears |
Azinphos-methyl, Cyhexatin, Phosmet, Endosulfan, Ethion |
|
Potatoes |
DDT, Chlorpropham, Dieldrin, Aldicarb, Chlordane |
|
Spinach |
Endosuslfan, DDT, Methomyl, Methamidophos, Dimethoate |
|
Strawberries |
Captan, Vinclozolin, Endosulfan, Methamidophos, Methyl Parathion |
|
Sweet Potatoes |
Dicloran, DDT, Phosmet, Dieldrin, BHC |
|
Tomatoes |
Methamidophos, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorothalonilo, Permethrin, Dimethoate |
|
Watermelon |
Methamidophos, Chlorothalonil, Dimethoate, Carbaryl, Captan |
Source : “Return to the Good Earth”, Third World Network
To know more about the effects of pesticides on our bodies, the environment and on wildlife, you may follow these links :
http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides/index.htm
http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/default.asp
http://www.toxicslink.org/index1.php?prg=issues.php&id=pesticide
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/nature/
http://www.foodnews.org/fqpa.php
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/main.html
http://www.panna.org/resources/advisor.html
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2003/pesticide2003.htm
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