Washing Fruits May Not Be Enough to Remove Pesticides, Study Finds

A recent study has confirmed that washing fruits is not sufficient to remove toxic chemicals and pesticide residues applied by farmers.

The study, recently published in Nano Letters by the American Chemical Society, highlighted that the health risks from pesticides are not eliminated by simply washing fruits. There is a significant likelihood that individuals consume contaminated produce on a daily basis.

The study aimed to introduce a technique that researchers hope will improve pesticide detection in food products. However, it also demonstrated that washing alone is insufficient to remove chemicals. The study stated that “cleaning cannot completely remove pesticides from fruit.”

Researchers observed pesticide contamination in apples, noting that the chemicals had penetrated the skin and reached the flesh. However, removing the apple’s skin and the top layer of flesh significantly reduced contamination.

Dongdong Yi, a professor at the College of Materials and Chemistry at Anhui Agricultural University and the study’s author, hopes people will peel fruits rather than panic.

The research suggests that peeling fruit can effectively eliminate pesticide residues, in contrast to repeated washing. The study also found that “the risk of pesticide consumption from fruit cannot be avoided by simple washing, unlike peeling, although peeling may reduce the fruit’s nutritional value.”