Can I Rinse Off Pesticides?

#EcoAdvice from our expert

Dear Dr. Donley,

Do I really have to buy organic fruit to avoid eating pesticides? Can’t I just, like, take the peel off my orange and call it good?

Signed,

Peeling Perplexed about Pesticides

Dear P3,

This should be a fruitful answer because there are many misconceptions out there about how pesticides interact with the plants that we eat.

The short answer is no, you can’t completely avoid pesticides by simply peeling off the skin of fruit. Many of the pesticides that are currently used are “systemic,” which means that following treatment, the pesticide travels throughout the entire plant. That’s concerning because the flesh of the fruit can actually contain pesticides, just like the stem, leaves or roots of the plant.

No amount of washing or peeling can remove these chemicals; they are just as much a part of your orange as vitamin C. To give you a sense of just how widespread these chemicals are in non-organic food, a recent report found that systemic insecticides were present in 91 percent of cafeteria food in the halls of Congress. I predict bipartisan support for sack lunches in 2016.

And that says nothing of the birds, bees, fish and other wild animals that are hurt by these toxins. With more than a billion pounds of pesticides used each year in the United States, pesticide exposure is a major threat to wildlife. One of the best things you can do is avoid supporting the agricultural practices that are devastating their populations. When deciding which produce to buy, remember: A single pesticide-treated seed is enough to kill a small songbird, indeed.

So yes, choosing organic makes a big difference for these creatures and for you. Orange you glad you asked?

Stay wild,

Dr. Donley