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Franklin Fire in Malibu explodes to 2,600 acres; some homes destroyed; Colorado health care costs rose 139 percent between 2013-2022; NY, U.S. to see big impacts of Trump's proposed budget cuts; Worker-owned cannabis coops in RI aim for economic justices.

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Debates on presidential accountability, the death penalty, gender equality, Medicare and Social Security cuts; and Ohio's education policies highlight critical issues shaping the nation's future.

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Limited access to community resources negatively impacts rural Americans' health, a successful solar company is the result of a Georgia woman's determination to stay close to her ailing grandfather, and Connecticut looks for more ways to cut methane emissions.

Common produce in IA tops 'Dirty Dozen' pesticide list

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Wednesday, April 3, 2024   

The Environmental Working Group has released a new list of produce items most and least affected by pesticides in Iowa and across the country.

Some of Iowans' most popular produce items top this year's Dirty Dozen list of things contaminated with pesticides, including conventionally grown strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pears, apples and green beans.

Alexa Friedman, senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, said food is the most frequent way Iowans are exposed to pesticides, which can have negative health consequences.

"Things like cardio metabolic disorders, different types of diabetes, as well as some cancers," Friedman outlined. "If you are exposed to multiple pesticides over the course of a lifetime, they might lead to a greater risk in any of these health outcomes."

The group's shopper's guide also includes the Clean Fifteen, a list of fruits and vegetables with very low or no pesticide residue. It includes organic avocados, sweet corn and pineapple. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed 96% of Iowa's cornfields are treated with pesticides.

Some Iowa farmers have moved to organic farming and away from using pesticides because they drift to other crops. Most of the produce tested by the USDA fell within legal limits for pesticide residue but Friedman pointed out while amounts applied may be "legal," they may not be "safe," because drift makes it nearly impossible to monitor how much pesticide winds up on adjacent crops.

"Even if the amounts of pesticides are within legal limits on these produce, it doesn't mean it's safe for everyone, particularly susceptible populations like children," Friedman asserted.

Friedman argued fruits and vegetables, whether they are grown organically or conventionally, are still healthier than highly processed foods and said there are good options available in the frozen food section.


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