“Organic” is often taken to mean pesticide-free. It sounds reassuring: no synthetic chemicals on crops, no residues on food and no pesticides entering soil or water. But the reality is…
Strawberries are a summertime favourite, but their delicate skin and close contact with the soil can prompt a familiar question: could pesticide residues on the fruit pose a risk to…
A report on pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables can prompt an understandable question: what is actually on our food, and could it reach our drinking water? The answer is…
Pesticides help farmers protect crops from insects, weeds, fungi and other threats. They also raise an important question: how much exposure is acceptable for people, wildlife and drinking water? For…
What we eat and the water we drink are often treated as separate environmental issues. In reality, they are closely connected. Agricultural chemicals can move from fields into rivers, lakes…
Strawberries, spinach, grapes and apples are often celebrated as everyday essentials of a healthy diet. Yet these foods also appear regularly on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) annual “Dirty Dozen”…
“Dirty dozens” is a memorable phrase—but it can also be misleading. In discussions about drinking water, it is often used to describe a group of persistent chemicals that remain in…
Pesticides are designed to control weeds, insects, fungi and other organisms that threaten crops. That purpose does not make them harmless once they leave the field. Rainfall, irrigation and soil…
Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It is applied in agriculture, on roadsides, in parks and gardens, and in many non-crop areas to control…
For shoppers in the UK, the phrase “the worst fruit and vegetables for pesticides” can sound alarming. Which foods carry the most residues? Should some produce be avoided? And does…