A new study has found that "exposure to pesticides used in agriculture can cause damage to the body as much as smoking does." Researchers revealed that "common chemicals used in growing fruits and vegetables in the United States were associated with high levels of several types of cancer, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and bladder cancer, compared to smoking." Strawberries, spinach, and kale, which are typically considered some of the healthiest foods one can eat, were named among the products with the highest pesticide residues. Researchers urge people to wash their produce before consumption to reduce their intake of pesticides.
Pesticides are a crucial aspect of modern agriculture as they protect crops from insects and ensure enough produce remains during harvest season. However, this also means that chemicals remain on the products that reach people's homes and leach into water supplies. In addition to pesticides settling on fruits and vegetables that millions of people buy from grocery stores daily, runoff from irrigation and spraying can contaminate nearby water and soil, leading to pollution of drinking water and other crops.
In the new study, researchers reviewed the health effects of 69 different pesticides, with data available from the U.S. Geological Survey. The team stated that due to the use of multiple pesticides at once, it is likely that the culprit is the combined use of several in a "cocktail." They compared this data to the health effects of smoking on various types of cancer in the body. Smoking is known to be primarily associated with lung cancer, but it can also lead to cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, stomach, and other organs, in addition to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung diseases.
The researchers noted that their study is the first comprehensive look at the cancer risks associated with pesticides. According to Dr. Isin Zapata, a professor at the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado and co-author of the report: "It is difficult to explain the scale of the problem without providing any context, so we incorporated smoking data. We were surprised to see estimates within similar ranges." Some of the most common pesticides that prevent fungi and insects have been linked to cancer, developmental delays, fertility issues, and hormonal problems.
