FoodConsumer.org, David Liu Ph.D.
Published September 6, 2005
Children can have drastic and immediate relief from potential harm that would otherwise be imposed by the pesticides in their conventional foods if they switch to organic foods, according to a study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program.
The study, conducted by Chensheng Lu and colleagues at Emory University, University of Washington and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, was meant to investigate children's dietary pesticide exposure. Although there had not been much evidence, the National Research Council's 1993 report entitled "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children" concluded that dietary intake represents the major source of pesticide exposure for infants and children, and this exposure may account for the increased pesticide-related health risks in children compared to adults", the authors write in their article published in the Aug 28 to Sep. 3 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
However, the current study found that an organic diet provided a drastic and immediate protective effect against exposures to organophosphorus (OP) pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production. The study also concluded that the participants were most likely exposed to the OP pesticides exclusively through their diet.
The 15-day study involved 23 children aged 3 to 11 in suburban Seattle, WA areas. The children were asked to use conventional diets during the first three days and the last seven days. In the five days in between, they were asked to use organic diets.
The foods used in the study included fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, processed fruit or vegetables and wheat or corn based foods such as pasta, cereal, popcorn and chips. These foods were used because they were known to contain high levels of OP pesticides. The researchers tested organic foods, which were purchased from one local grocery, to make sure that they were free of pesticides.
Children's urine was collected through the study and tested for two metabolites from selected OP pesticides, 2-(dimethoxyphosphorothioyl)sulfanyl]succinic acid or MDA, metabolite of malathion and 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol or TCPY, metabolite of chorpyrifos.
The study found that all 23 children's urine samples contained MDA and TCPY when enrolled in the study. MDA and TCPY were lowered to a non-detectible level immediately after children started using organic diets, and the non-detection remained until the conventional diets were re-used in the last nine days.
An early U.K. study in children found that children who used an organic diet had a high intelligence score and a better physical performance. An animal study released in March of this year in Denmark found that rats that were fed an organic diet enjoyed some benefits. The rats on the organic diet slept better, had stronger immune systems and they were comparatively slimmer.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the following fruit and vegetables contain the least pesticides: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn (sweet), kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, and peas (sweet). The following contain the highest amount of pesticides: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), Nectarines, peaches, pears, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.
