Endosulfan Ban Makes 8 Veggies Safer to Eat

by Sarah Parsons · 2010-06-17 11:30:00 UTC
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Last week, Change.org brought you news about how the EPA finally banned endosulfan, a toxic pesticide linked to all kinds of health and environmental woes. While that's great news for people, wildlife, and, well, every living thing, the ban especially benefits fans of eight types of veggies.

Not that any pesticide is good for you or the environment, but endosulfan is especially noxious. It's already banned in 60 countries, with the U.S. finally joining the fray. After years of pushing from environmental groups, the EPA determined the substance to be too toxic to farm workers. Exposure to endosulfan can cause damage to the reproductive system, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. It also poses huge risks to wildlife because of how long it persists in the environment. The toxin's turned up in human breast milk and placenta, the atmosphere, and the body fat of Arctic animals. Talk about a ubiquitous distribution of poison.

And while endosulfan has been sprayed on fruits, veggies, and cotton plants, there are eight vegetables that traditionally carry higher levels of the substance. Find out what they are after the break.

According to The Daily Green, eight veggies carry the highest levels of endosulfan. In order of the most endosulfan to the least, they are: cucumbers, summer squash, green beans, sweet bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, and kale.

The endosulfan ban is a huge victory, but the struggle doesn't stop there. America's farms employ a host of noxious chemicals that need to be eliminated. One of the most toxic is methyl iodide, a substance used in pesticides. The chemical is so extremely poisonous that it's actually used in lab settings to grow cancer cells. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) is poised to approve this chemical for use on the state's farms, pending a public comment period. Folks have til June 29th to decry this seriously scary substance. Sign our petition telling the CDPR to deny approval of methyl iodide.

Photo credit: Agricultural Research Service via Wikimedia Commons

Sarah Parsons is Change.org's Sustainable Food Editor. Her work has appeared in Popular Science, OnEarth, Audubon and Plenty.

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