Tejal Somvanshi
Fruits and vegetables are essential parts of a diet due to their nutritional value, fiber content, and many other health benefits. They are valued as natural and healthy options. However, the use of pesticides has led researchers to develop the so-called “Dirty Dozen,” which includes those with the highest levels of chemicals.
A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization dedicated to determining the safety of products and their ingredients for consumers, reveals a list of these 12 foods categorized as containing the most pesticides.
The findings show that the vegetables and fruits of the Dirty Dozen are loaded with fungicides that can disrupt human hormonal systems.
A significant finding is that 75 percent of non-organic products, and 95 percent of the Dirty Dozen items, are coated with pesticides.
Meanwhile, nearly 65 percent of the samples from EWG’s 2024 Clean Fifteen™ fruits and vegetables had no detectable pesticide residues.
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EWG, a component of the Shopper’s Guide, identifies the 12 non-organic or conventional fresh products with the highest amounts of pesticides, with four of the five most frequently detected chemicals being the fungicides fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, and pyrimethanil.
According to the new report from EWG based on testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which analyzed 47,510 samples from 46 different fruits and vegetables, the organization notes that “USDA peeling and washing produce samples before analysis, whereas the FDA only removes dirt first,” and yet the tests found traces of 254 pesticides in the analyzed fruits and vegetables.
EWG on its website explains that “pesticides are chemicals designed to kill living organisms considered pests, including insects, weeds, and mold. Even after washing fruits and vegetables, pesticide residues remain on the products.”
These chemicals can cause health damage, “Research shows that certain pesticides used in U.S. agricultural products are linked to cancer, hormonal disruptions, and cognitive and behavioral problems,” EWG states.
The top 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides in the United States are:
- Strawberries – More than 90 percent of strawberry samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
- Spinach- Spinach is another vegetable on the list because it contains pesticides banned by the EU.
- Kale, collard greens, and mustard greens- Nearly 50 percent of kale samples reviewed contained possibly carcinogenic pesticides.
- Grapes- Over 90 percent of grape samples tested positive for two or more pesticides.
- Peaches- 99 percent of the fresh peach samples tested were contaminated with pesticide residues.
- Pears- At least 6 out of 10 non-organic pear samples recently analyzed by the USDA showed traces of five or more pesticides.
- Nectarines- More than 90 percent of nectarine samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
- Apples- Apples are sprayed with chemicals after harvest and typically contain residues of more than four different pesticides.
- Bell and hot peppers- EWG found that bell and hot peppers had the second-highest number of individual pesticides detected, with 101 different chemicals found in these items.
- Cherries- Like grapes and nectarines, more than 90 percent of cherry samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
- Blueberries- For the second year in a row, this fruit is ranked 11th in the Dirty Dozen for pesticide use.
- Green beans- Green beans are part of the Dirty Dozen, contaminated by a pesticide banned by the EPA more than 10 years ago.
