testing for pesticides in food and supplements is necessary by teri arranga

8/6/2019 Testing for Pesticides in Food and Supplements is Necessary by Teri Arranga

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A Moms View: Yes! Testing for Pesticides in Food andSupplements is Necessary

Chronic exposure to neurotoxicants may lead to irreversible destruction of neurons and

neural pathways in addition to the well-known effects of endocrine disruption. But theproblem is insidious, as much of the time, the clinical manifestations of this may not

become apparent until later in life.

I have always wondered about the wisdom of using pesticides. If it might kill one

creature, might it not hurt humans? And, in fact, studies do show that industrial

pesticides hurt humans, too.

According to the World Health Organization website, Long-term exposure to pesticides

can increase the risk of developmental and reproductive disorders, immune-system

disruption, endocrine disruption, impaired nervous-system function, and development

of certain cancers. Children are at higher risk from exposure than are adults.1

A Harvard study published in theAnnals of Neurology in 2006 found that exposure to

pesticides could increase the long-term risk for developing Parkinsons Disease (PD) by

70 percent.2 And a 2008 study inBMC Neurologyreported that Overall, individuals

with PD were significantly more likely to report direct pesticide application than their

unaffected relatives. . . . Frequency, duration, and cumulative exposure were alsosignificantly associated with PD in a dose-response pattern.3 This study from Duke

University found that the Parkinsons patients were 61% more likely to report direct

exposure to pesticides than were their healthy relatives.


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A 2008 news brief from the National Institutes of Health told us that Licensed

pesticide applicators who used chlorinated pesticides on more than 100 days in their

lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes . . . . The associations between specific pesticides

and incident diabetes ranged from a 20 percent to a 200 percent increase in risk . . . . 4

What about other neurological diseases?

A report from the University of North Dakotas Energy & Environmental Research

Center, funded by the CDC, linked pesticides to neurological changes seen in

Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Alzheimers. This report showed

that the areas of the brain in lab rats affected by pesticide exposure are the same areas

linked to these conditions.5

Why risk it?

Peel away the pesticides?

If you are buying produce that is not organically grown, the problem goes deeper since

many pesticides and herbicides are systemic, penetrating into the flesh of the fruits and

vegetables.

The Environmental Working Group recently updated its list with EWGsShoppers

Guide to Pesticides in Produce, that reflects the overall pesticide loads of common fruits

and vegetables. EWG analyzed pesticide residue testing data from the USDA and FDA

to formulate rankings for 53 fresh produce items.6 Most samples were washed and

peeled before testing.

EWG explains that eating produce is better than not, but that you can lower your

pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and

vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.7

What comprises the Dirty Dozen, which should be preferably purchased as organically

grown?

1. Apples

2. Celery


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3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Imported Nectarines

7. Imported Grapes

8. Sweet Bell Peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Domestic Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

Lets more closely look at culprit #3: The USDA had previously found a total of 54

separate pesticides in their conventionally grown strawberry samples, with 14 different

residues found in one strawberry sample. Of 741 total samples, 697 samples were found

to have pesticide residues. And unfortunately, in 2010, the California Department of

Pesticide Regulation took a step backwards and approved the use of methyl iodide for

strawberry farmers. This pesticide is a fumigant that kills insects, weeds and bacteria.

There is also research showing it causes cancer in rats and mice.

For a really sickening revelation, look at the 52 pesticide residues found in blueberries

tested in 2008 at the WhatsOnMyFood website,8 which derived its information from the

USDA Pesticide Data Program. I cannot even pronounce the names, and there aresymbols denoting developmental, reproductive, carcinogenic, and neurotoxic effects.

Further links explore a host of other conventional foods, or you can search by pesticide.

You can continue reading about the Clean 15 those lowest in pesticides at the

EWG website linkwww.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.

Pesticides have no place in nutritional supplements:Welcome to the

Kirkman Ultra Tested line
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Why is this discussion relevant to dietary supplements? As an example, a report by

Wong et al. tells us In samples collected in 2004, pesticides were found in 44 out of 87

samples of botanical dietary supplements (the majority of these being ginseng products)

suspected of containing pesticides. Over 30 different types of organochlorine,organophosphorus, and organonitrogen pesticide residues were present in these

samples, with pentachloroaniline, pentachlorobenzene, and quintozene being the most

abundant. A majority of these products contained more than one pesticide; one such

sample was found to contain as many as 12 organochlorine compounds.9

In the previously mentioned EWG report, the herb cilantro, which had never been tested

by USDA until now, showed 33 unapproved pesticides on 44 percent of the cilantro

samples the highest percentage of unapproved pesticides recorded on any item

included in the guide since EWG started tracking the data in 1995! 10

With the Ultra Tested line, exclusively available from Kirkman and in contrast to

the products of other supplement companies, ALL raw materials are monitored for

hundreds of potentially harmful pesticides.


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Pesticide residues fall into two categories, non-volatile and volatile. Equipment

necessary to monitor all types of potential pesticide contamination, therefore, requires

two distinct types of laboratory equipment.

The non-volatile pesticides are detected and measured with liquid chromatography

(LC). Non-volatile pesticides are tested on state-of-the-art LC triple quadrupole

spectrometer (LC-MS) equipment. By using the new triple quadrupole technology, a

tenfold increase in sensitivity over older single quad technology is realized. LC-MS is

also used to test for non-volatile chemicals, vitamins and other compounds of dietary

and food supplements.

The measurement of volatile pesticides and other volatile chemicals and contaminants

require different technology. Kirkman uses state-of-the-art custom gas chroma-tograph (GC) equipment for this purpose, equipped with a pesticide GC-MS analyzer.

This is the most advanced technology available for the analysis of volatile pesticide

compounds.

In addition to pesticides, Kirkman also tests for 24 heavy metals, common allergens

and bacteria, yeast and mold.

No other nutritional supplement company in the world offers the degree of purity

testing that Kirkman does.

REFERENCES

1. http://www.who.int/heli/risks/toxics/chemicals/en/index.html

2. Ascherio, A et al. Pesticide Exposure and Risk for Parkinsons Disease.Ann Neurol. 2006;60:197-

203.

3. Hancock DB, et al. Pesticide exposure and risk of Parkinsons disease: A family-based case-control

study.BMC Neurol. 2008;8:6.4. http://ag.udel.edu/extension/pesticide/briefs/briefsindex.htm

5. http://www.enn.com/press_releases/1592

6. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/

7. www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary

8. http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=BB

9. http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=720_11
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fheli%2Frisks%2Ftoxics%2Fchemicals%2Fen%2Findex.htmlhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fag.udel.edu%2Fextension%2Fpesticide%2Fbriefs%2Fbriefsindex.htmhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.enn.com%2Fpress_releases%2F1592http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Flist%2Fhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Fsummaryhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whatsonmyfood.org%2Ffood.jsp%3Ffood%3DBBhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.actahort.org%2Fmembers%2Fshowpdf%3Fbooknrarnr%3D720_11http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fheli%2Frisks%2Ftoxics%2Fchemicals%2Fen%2Findex.htmlhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fag.udel.edu%2Fextension%2Fpesticide%2Fbriefs%2Fbriefsindex.htmhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.enn.com%2Fpress_releases%2F1592http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Flist%2Fhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Fsummaryhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whatsonmyfood.org%2Ffood.jsp%3Ffood%3DBBhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.actahort.org%2Fmembers%2Fshowpdf%3Fbooknrarnr%3D720_11


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10. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/press/
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Fpress%2Fhttp://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=176486&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Ffoodnews%2Fpress%2F

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