Therefore, natural safety factors exist, because the dose required to cause a significant cancer risk is so high that the risk becomes negligible. Ames concludes by saying that there are more significant risks to be concerned with, and that resources would be better put towards other environmental issues. Phasing out the highest risk pesticides would in fact have a negligible effect on the price of fruits and vegetables in the United States. The twelve most consumed fruits and vegetables did not change from 1985 to 1993, despite the EPA's cancellation of 200 pesticides during this period. The risk of cancer due to synthetic pesticide consumption may be a greater factor than the cancer-fighting effect of eating more produce.
Cancer is only one of the toxic effects of pesticides.
The National Academy of Sciences claims neurotoxic compounds may cause brain function loss for children at the same dose which is deemed safe for adults. Pesticides are deliberately toxic to insects and cause toxic effects in animals including cancer, nervous system damage, birth defects and interference with immune and endocrine systems. Not every pesticide poses a great risk, but some of the more heavily used are very toxic. Government regulations are based upon averages which do not accurately represent individuals, particularly children and vegetarians. Furthermore, the standards assume exposure to one pesticide at a time, an unrealistic scenario given the multitude of pesticides used.