In the U.S. alone, more than one billion pounds of pesticides are released into the environment as a result of non-organic practices. Some of these are very persistent and remain in the environment long after application. Extensive pesticide residue testing by the USDA found that conventionally produced fruits and vegetables are three to over four times more likely to contain pesticide residues than organic produce, and these are eight to eleven times more likely to contain multiple residues and residues at levels three to ten times higher than corresponding residues found in organic samples.
A recent study reported inEnvironmental Health Perspectivesfound that by substituting organic fresh fruits and vegetables for corresponding conventional food items, the median urinary metabolite concentrations of malathion and chlorpyrifos pesticides could be reduced from a high level to a level of non-detected or close to non-detected.
Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. Beginning in 1995, a network of environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, began testing tap water for herbicides across the Corn Belt, and in Louisiana and Maryland. The results revealed widespread contamination of tap water with many different pesticides at levels that present serious health risks. In some cities, herbicides in tap water exceeded federal lifetime health standards for weeks or months at a time. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching by the use of organic farming methods, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination and to protect and conserve water resources.
