A recent study found thirty percent of apples contain at least three different pesticide residues. Considering the diversity of pesticides found in our environment the increased potency of combined pesticides raises many questions. The significance of the synergistic nature of pesticides is evident in light of the extensive use and accumulation of pesticides in both the environment and living organisms. Since WW II, world pesticide use has increased dramatically. Actual pesticide exposure is nearly impossible to estimate on an individual basis because there are so many distinct exposure pathways.
Pesticides are in our food, water, and air.
They are now a nearly universal feature of our environment found in every ecosystem in the world. They're used not only in food production and commercial forestry, but also in our homes, schools, public parks, and work places. Pesticides are a pervasive part of our environment virtually impossible to avoid. Even as we are now discovering that pesticides pose a much greater threat to society than ever suspected, the U.S. government is undermining already limited regulations. In light of endocrine disruption, this new reliance on tolerance levels and risk management poses many problems for consumers.