Dangers of Pesticides: Is Your Food Poisoning You?

Here is an exploration of the dangers of pesticides. I will also provide steps you can use right away to protect yourself and your family.

These pesticide dangers are with you whether you choose organic or not.

First, let's start by being clear about what we are talking about. Included are chemicals that are:

- herbicides
- insecticides
- fungicides
- fumigants
- and rodenticides

These pesticides can enter the body through the skin, by eating them or breathing them into the body.

When my husband and I bought our first home, the lawn had dandelions.

One neighbor offered to loan us his weeding machine. We politely turned down the offer.

Our children played on the lawn. We even had a young rabbit family living in one of the hedges.

So, a better option for us was to keep the flowers cut down and to dig out what we could. Our alternative to the pesticide dangers.

Children have a greater risk of toxic exposure. One reason is they play a lot. A good thing!

But more than playing outside, children have a smaller body size. Therefore, their skin surface is a higher percentage of their overall size.

In addition, the smaller body size means poisoning would occur with a smaller dose of toxin.

When these poisons enter the body they effect the whole body. For instance, if the toxin was absorbed through the skin, you may see a rash. But, you could also see gastrointestinal symptoms or central nervous system effects. You might see a rash and stomach cramps or nausea and even headaches or loss of consciousness.

Surprisingly, food is another major source of the dangers of pesticide contamination. Even if you use organic produce. A residue could have settled from another source. Organics does not use synthetic pesticides. Absolutely, I agree that the amount would be less on certified food.

Our producers are permitted to use these chemicals. Limiting the use of a specific chemical would limit the residue of that one compound. What about each and every other chemical with each leaving their own residue?

Wash your produce. Its easier to wash the residue off than speculate on the sum total of all the chemicals and their combined effect.

Do you have a pet? Replace flea and tick sprays with a collar or pill.

Bug spray for flies can be replaced with a bug tape or a fly swatter.

Eliminating these pesticides may be overwhelming. But there are steps you can take to limit exposure.

Steps To Limit The Dangers Of Pesticide Exposure

1. Use lawn care products that are safe.

2. Wash the skin that was exposed within 30 minutes.

3. Have everyone take off their outside shoes when entering your home.

4. Clean the carpets, thus removing residues carried into the home on shoes.

5. My family replaced insect repellent with citronella.

6. Always wash your produce before preparing the food.

7. Wash produce that needs peeling. Then peel the produce. And wash your hands again before eating.

8. Pesticide mist travels and settles on items you touch. Wash hands before you eat.

9. Change clothes after exposure.

10. Use protective breathing gear when spraying.

11. Distance yourself from the spraying. Depending on the air currents, the mist can go well past the land boundaries of farms.

The National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH) for the US is a source that deals with this issue.

For Canada, you can contact toll free the Pest Management Regulatory Agency at 1-800-267-6315. They deal in pesticide issues.

Protecting yourself and your family from the dangers of pesticides is a big step toward life long health. Food is a major source of pesticide ingestion. By eating organic foods you are eliminating much of this exposure. And when you wash your produce first, why you're well on your way!



If you enjoyed this article, please sign up for my free Newsletter (e-zine) Organic Sensible Living. I will deliver updates right to your inbox. And better yet, each issue has a new article full of valuable information for you. Just complete the form below and then click the Subscribe button.