By Sarah Neal, Haddam Sustainability Committee
(October 30, 2025) — According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, about a billion pounds of conventional pesticides are applied each year to agricultural products in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency states that in 2022 there were more than 17,000 registered pesticide products, containing more than 1200 active ingredients, sold and used on crops in the U.S., as well as in homes, yards and public places.
Pesticide is an umbrella term for insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides. The root “cide” comes from the Latin verb “caedere,” meaning to kill. Pesticides, often applied before any sign of crop damage, kill not only pests, but can do great harm to plant pollinators. They will seep into the ground to pollute the nearby waterways and other water sources such as wells. With the widespread use of pesticides, they can be present in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe. The National Institutes of Health states on their website that there is “a huge body of evidence” on the relation between exposure to pesticides and the rise of diseases such as different types of cancer, diabetes, neurogenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS as well as birth defects and reproductive disorders.
The Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) is a good resource for current information on the conventional produce with the highest and lowest levels of pesticides. After collecting USDA data from thousands of samples (more than 53,000 this year, all washed under running water for 15-20 seconds), they published an annual list of their “Dirty Dozen,” which in 2025 included spinach, strawberries, grapes, apples, pears, and others. The EWG recommends that you buy these grown organically, if possible, but at the very least wash your produce well (more on that in a future article). This year’s “Clean 15,” which are those crops that are conventionally grown but have the least pesticide residue, include pineapple, sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, carrots, and bananas, among others. Even if you buy organic produce, or if it’s from the “Clean 15,” you should still wash your produce.
Choose your produce wisely, and if your budget allows, consider buying organic fruits and vegetables from the “Dirty Dozen” list. Produce from local farms and farmers markets is also a good option since it has not traveled hundreds of miles. You also can ask the farmers whether pesticides are used on their crops. Whatever produce you buy, do a thorough wash. The benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet outweigh the risks.
