Scientists then analyzed the two groups. Of the 12 pesticides studied only bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, and vinclozolin residues remained after washing. Chlorpyrifos is the most widely used insecticide in the United States according to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides in Eugene, Oregon. It is used on a wide variety of crops as well as homeowner's lawns. The bifenthrin insecticide was used on strawberries, lettuce, spinach, and peas in this study.
Growers use vinclozolin to control fungi on grapes, strawberries and the like.
The EPA sets allowable tolerances for the maximum level of pesticide allowed on raw agricultural commodities. All of the study's produce came in below the EPA tolerances. The World Health Organization issued a table of acceptable daily intake values for pesticides, which address the health question of how much of a pesticide is too much. As an example for bifenthrin, based on the acceptable daily intake value for strawberries, a 110-pound person could eat 199 medium sized strawberries per day before he or she would see an observable effect. While the pesticide residue levels found in the most recent study are not alarmingly high, the pesticides themselves are not necessarily friendly neighbors.