Tag Archive for: EPA

Chlorpyrifos: Checking the Statistics

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When I began my research, the one statistic I had to check was that fruits and vegetables contained 140 times the amounts safe for 1–2 year old (1). Was it sensational or based in science? I’m good at what I do, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I did find a lot of interesting studies but not that. I finally wrote the author of the op-ed piece; I didn’t get an answer from him, but I got one from his research assistant who gave me the precise source of the statistic.

Sure enough, page six of the EPA report (2) listed the claim of 140 times the safe amount—except that was not exactly what the EPA found in fruits and vegetables. It was a hypothetical amount that applied to the 100th percentile of potential intake. I spent several days and examined dozens of related articles just to figure out how the number was derived. What I can tell you is that it does not reflect what the exposure may be on the fruits and vegetables children or adults actually consume.

I found that number because every year, the USDA publishes a summary of the pesticides found on and in foods as part of the Pesticide Program (3). This report is the basis for the Environmental Work Group’s Dirty Dozen vegetables and fruits you shouldn’t eat. I examined the data for chlorpyrifos, and here’s what I found:

  • 9,843 samples of 19 fruits and vegetables were analyzed
  • 84 samples contained chlorpyrifos
  • 1 sample out of 84 exceeded the EPA tolerance levels

The amounts actually tested by the EPA did not come close to what was reported in the op-ed piece or what was published in the Registration Review by the EPA Committee. But I found a lot more than that, and I’ll get to that on Saturday

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. Nicholas Kristof. The New York Times. October 28, 2017.
2. EPA. 11/2016. Chlorpyrifos: Revised Human Health Risk Assessment for Registration Review.
3. www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp

 

A Pesticide Story

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It’s not where you begin; it’s where you end up.

Pesticides are designed to kill bugs on our farms, in our homes, and in our yards. One such pesticide is chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide. It’s a very effective nerve toxin that will essentially kill anything with a nervous system if the exposure is high enough. It was eliminated for in-home and yard use years ago but is still used as a farm pesticide as well as on golf courses and other open areas.

Paula forwarded an op-ed piece from the New York Times that talked about a recent EPA decision to ban this pesticide for all uses; the decision was overturned by the current administration. After years of investigation by numerous scientists that concluded that chlorpyrifos was potentially too toxic, use is going to continue. One statistic in the article that stuck out to me was that the EPA had found levels on fruits and vegetables at levels 140 times what was determined to be safe for children 1–2 years old.

I can’t feed my grandson Riley vegetables and fruits that can harm him, so I had to check that out. I don’t care about the political intrigue; I’m concerned about what’s safe for you as readers and your families as well as my family. But as I said in my opening sentence, where I began is not as important as where I finished. This week will show how complicated eating in the 21st century can be.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References: Nicholas Kristof. The New York Times. October 28, 2017

 

What You Need to Know About Omega-3s

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This week I’m covering basic information about three supplements.  One of my favorites and one I don’t ever leave home without is omega-3 fatty acids.

There are three basic forms of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentanoic acid or EPA, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, and alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. The body cannot make omega-3 fatty acids, so they have to come from food and supplements. ALA is an essential fatty acid—the body can make EPA and DHA from it but not very well—so getting EPA and DHA from diet and supplements is critical.

EPA . . .

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