A new resource for types of pesticides on our food. June 30, 2009

SAF Baby (Safe Alternatives For Baby and Child) and Eco Child’s Play have both reported on a new web site called What’s In My Food. This site has been created by the a non-profit group, Pesticide Action Network.

What’s In My Food is a searchable database that allows you to see residue data from pesticides on food and information about each of the chemicals. You can check a list of 89 foods or search by pesticide name.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

That’s (eco)news to me – take your shoes off August 4, 2008

Wearing you shoes from outdoors in your home doesn’t just track in dirt. Pesticides, lead and other chemicals can make their way in as well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a study that showed that shoes tracking in pesticides were a major source of pesticide exposures, especially for young children who spend much of their time on the floor and who put things in their mouths. It also showed that indoor shoe-wearing was a larger cause of children’s pesticide exposures than consuming non-organic fruits and vegetables.

Even if you don’t use pesticides on your lawn, you can pick it up along with lead and other chemicals from your travels elsewhere. Consider putting a door mat just inside your front door or better yet, take your outdoor shoes off upon entering your home and change to “indoor shoes”.

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The Dirty Dozen Fruits and Veggies July 15, 2008

The Environmental Working Group has put together a list of 43 fruits and veggies ranking their levels of pesticide contamination. They also have a printable version that shows the 12 least and most contaminated fruits and veggies that can be easily carried in your wallet as a quick reference when you’re out shopping.

The Environmental Working Group states that, “There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.”

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