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Leon Baradat

Fruit: How contaminated by pesticides are orange peels?

Charles McLeman  Follow

I would like to add to this question a reference to a study which evaluates the most effective washing method to remove pesticides in orange peels.

“Pesticide residues in commercially available oranges and evaluation of potential washing methods (…)

CONCLUSIONS The aim of this work was to evaluate the distribution of pesticides in oranges and find out the most effective washing method for removing pesticides. 140 Residues of two pesticides – thiabendazole and imazalil – were present in oranges. The concentration of the pesticide residues was found to be higher in the peel, but a small amount of imazalil was present in the pulp as well. Washing with hot water and with dishwashing soap removed residues of thiabendazole, but none of the used methods could completely remove imazalil. The reason for this is the diffusion of polar imazalil into and through the peel of oranges. So consumers cannot be sure of avoiding post-harvest pesticides just by washing. Some residues of pesticides will be present even after removing the peel. “

in http://www.kirj.ee/public/Chem/2007/issue_3/chem-2007-3-3.pdf

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Anselmo  Follow

I read through the answers here and this is just my contradicting experience in California.

Most neighborhood growers who use Round-Up Glyphosate on their properties do not spray on or around trees. Why? Because they are going to eat the oranges themselves, too. Although the spray nozzle aerates the pesticide, the proper way to do it is to point the nozzle toward the ground in between the rows of trees, and emphatically nowhere near the fruit. This is usually because they have only two people tending to several acres and going organic dramatically increases operation costs.

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