The report below has been reprinted from the original
analysis conducted by the Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.,
Public
Service Projects
Department,
Technical Division.
"Which Foods Have the Highest TI Values? Seven foods
consistently had high or very high TI's each time tested:
Fresh peaches (both domestic and imported); frozen
and fresh winter squash grown in the U.S.; domestic and imported apples,
grapes, spinach and pears; and U.S.-grown
green beans. Among
these, U.S. peaches and frozen winter squash had TI Values
about 10-fold higher than even the other "high" scores..."
This Report is very long, and has been broken down
into different sections:
Quick Links
|| Summary || Introduction
to the USDA Pesticide Data Program || Methodology & Toxicity
Index ||
|| Results and Discussion || Recommendations || Tables:
Pesticide Contamination in Fruits & Vegetables ||
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE EATING?
AN ANALYSIS OF U.S. GOVERNMENT DATA
ON PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOODS1
Links to the Individual
Tables
|| Table
1: Foods Tested by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, 1994-1997 ||
|| Table
2: Acute Toxicity of Pesticides Detected ||
|| Table
3: Chronic Toxicity of Pesticides Detected ||
|| Table
4: Toxicity
Indices for Foods Tested ||
|| Table 5: Shares of Total Toxicity Index Values Contributed by Individual Pesticides Detected ||
|| Table
6: Odds of Exceeding "Safe" Daily Doses for Selected
Pesticides in Selected Foods ||
|| Table
7: Multiple Pesticide Residues: Frequency Distribution of Samples ||
|| Table
8: Applications of Selected High-Risk Pesticides to Selected Crops ||
|
Table 6. Odds of Exceeding "Safe" Daily Doses for Selected Pesticides in Selected Foods Tested by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, 1996
and 1997
|
|
Pesticide
|
Food
|
Country of
Origin
|
Year
|
Reference Concen- tration (RfC)
(ppm)
|
Number of
Samples
|
Number of
Positives
|
Percent
Positive
|
Number
Samples
>RfC
|
Percent Positive Samples
>RfC
|
Odds 100g
Serving >RfD
|
Maximim
Residue
|
Ratio of Max Residue to RfC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dieldrin
|
Winter Squash, Frozen
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.01
|
91
|
67
|
73.6%
|
44
|
65.7%
|
48.0%
|
0.1
|
10
|
|
Heptachlor epoxide
|
Winter Squash, Frozen
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.002
|
79
|
23
|
29.1%
|
23
|
100%
|
29.1%
|
0.025
|
12.5
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
77.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Peaches
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.004
|
198
|
82
|
41.4%
|
82
|
100%
|
41.4%
|
0.5
|
125
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Peaches
|
U.S
|
1996
|
0.3
|
198
|
17
|
8.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.26
|
0.87
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
41.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Peaches
|
Chile
|
1996
|
0.004
|
126
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0.0%
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Peaches
|
Chile
|
1996
|
0.3
|
126
|
91
|
72.2%
|
5
|
5.5%
|
4.0%
|
0.41
|
1.37
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dieldrin
|
Winter Squash, Fresh
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.01
|
54
|
20
|
37.0%
|
15
|
75.0%
|
28.0%
|
0.093
|
9.3
|
|
Heptachlor epoxide
|
Winter Squash, Fresh
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.002
|
47
|
4
|
8.5%
|
4
|
100%
|
8.5%
|
0.015
|
7.5
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36.5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Apples
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.004
|
502
|
30
|
6.0%
|
30
|
100%
|
6.0%
|
0.21
|
52.5
|
|
Chlorpyrifos
|
Apples
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.06
|
502
|
140
|
26.4%
|
20
|
14.3%
|
3.8%
|
0.23
|
3.83
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Apples
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.3
|
502
|
267
|
53.2%
|
3
|
1.1%
|
0.6%
|
0.44
|
1.47
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Apples
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.1
|
502
|
15
|
3.0%
|
2
|
13.3%
|
0.4%
|
0.2
|
2.0
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Apples
|
New Zealand
|
1996
|
0.004
|
15
|
0
|
0.0%
|
30
|
0%
|
0.0%
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
|
Chlorpyrifos
|
Apples
|
New Zealand
|
1996
|
0.06
|
15
|
12
|
80.0%
|
3
|
25.0%
|
20.0%
|
0.09
|
1.50
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Apples
|
New Zealand
|
1996
|
0.3
|
15
|
14
|
93.3%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.093
|
0.31
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Apples
|
New Zealand
|
1996
|
0.1
|
15
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Green Beans, Frozen
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.004
|
691
|
32
|
4.6%
|
29
|
90.6%
|
4.2%
|
0.38
|
95.0
|
|
Acephate
|
Green Beans, Frozen
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.24
|
654
|
303
|
46.3%
|
23
|
7.6%
|
3.5%
|
1.2
|
5.0
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Omethoate
|
Grapes
|
Chile
|
1996
|
0.06
|
234
|
79
|
33.8%
|
19
|
24.1%
|
8.1%
|
0.23
|
3.83
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Grapes
|
Chile
|
1996
|
0.1
|
279
|
79
|
28.3%
|
20
|
25.3%
|
7.2%
|
0.66
|
6.6
|
|
Chlorpyrifos
|
Grapes
|
Chile
|
1996
|
0.06
|
279
|
56
|
20.1%
|
10
|
17.9%
|
3.6%
|
0.44
|
7.33
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Omethoate
|
Grapes
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.06
|
183
|
4
|
2.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.03
|
0.50
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Grapes
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.1
|
211
|
3
|
1.4%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.008
|
0.1
|
|
Chlorpyrifos
|
Grapes
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.06
|
211
|
16
|
7.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.059
|
0.98
|
|
Dicofol
|
Grapes
|
U.S.
|
1996
|
0.24
|
211
|
17
|
8.1%
|
8
|
47.1%
|
3.8%
|
2.5
|
10.4
|
|
Pesticide
|
Food
|
Country of
Origin
|
Year
|
Reference Concen- tration (RfC)
(ppm)
|
Number of
Samples
|
Number of
Positives
|
Percent
Positive
|
Number
Samples
>RfC
|
Percent Positive Samples
>RfC
|
Odds 100g
Serving >RfD
|
Maximim
Residue
|
Ratio of Max Residue to RfC
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Omethoate
|
Spinach
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.06
|
497
|
65
|
13.1%
|
27
|
41.5%
|
5.4%
|
0.76
|
12.7
|
|
Dieldrin
|
Spinach
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.01
|
193
|
3
|
1.6%
|
2
|
66.7%
|
1.0%
|
0.016
|
1.6
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Spinach
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.1
|
486
|
32
|
6.6%
|
8
|
25%
|
1.7%
|
1.9
|
19.0
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Omethoate
|
Spinach
|
Mexico
|
1996
|
0.06
|
17
|
6
|
35.3%
|
1
|
16.7%
|
5.9%
|
0.43
|
7.2
|
|
Dimethoate
|
Spinach
|
Mexico
|
1996
|
0.1
|
21
|
2
|
9.5%
|
2
|
100%
|
9.5%
|
0.81
|
8.1
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Pears
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.004
|
588
|
35
|
6.0%
|
23
|
65.7%
|
3.9%
|
0.079
|
19.8
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Pears
|
U.S.
|
1997
|
0.3
|
582
|
395
|
67.9%
|
23
|
5.8%
|
4.0%
|
0.99
|
3.3
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methyl parathion
|
Pears
|
Chile
|
1997
|
0.004
|
66
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
|
Azinphos-methyl
|
Pears
|
Chile
|
1997
|
0.3
|
66
|
42
|
63.6%
|
2
|
4.8%
|
3.0%
|
0.48
|
1.6
|
|
|
Combined odds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | 
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