You may think that you are healthy by filling your plate with fruit and vegetables, but experts warn that the nutritious staples can be covered with carcinogenic chemicals.
Based on the most recent data collected by the US Geological Survey in 2019, Harvesters in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma and parts of Texas used the poisonous herbicide 2.4-D.
The chemical was an active component in Agent Orange – the defoliant used by American troops during the war in Vietnam to destroy forestry and crops – and is now a widely used herbicide to control the growth of weeds around crops.
Farmers in the midwest and southern states usually spray pesticide over corn plants, soybeans, rice, wheat, hay, barley, oats, rye, sugar cane and tobacco.
Due to the ability to fully destroy vegetation, the International Agency for Research to Cancer 2.4-D classified 2.4-D in 2015 as a ‘potentially human carcinogenic substance’.
The classification came as a result of several studies that suggested that a high exposure to the herbicide could damage human cells and it turned out that cancer could cause animals.
Although direct exposure to pesticide 2.4-D is rare for most Americans, the toxins from the herbicide can accumulate in the body by eating unwashed grains and other crops.
And although the chemical substance can only be used on crops in selected states, the crops of those states are sent nationally – which indicates that all Americans are at risk.
Pesticide 2.4-D is a widely used herbicide that helps arrange the growth of weeds such as Klavers and Dandeloemen around a variety of field, fruit and vegetable and vegetable crops
David Goldsmith, an environmental epidemiologist at George Washington University in Washington, DC, said: “The public must be informed and vigilant about the use of herbicides, leaving them away from children and schools.”
He told Newsweek: ‘I am worried that farmers or farm workers do not use effective safety equipment and can therefore be exposed excessively through inhalation or skin contact.
‘I am also afraid that 2,4-d drinking water springs can pollute. Although I believe there is a direct risk for people who buy products from fields who have used 2.4-D. ‘
Talking about why the herbicide was only used heavily in certain states, Gurumurthy Ramaclandran, director of the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health noted that this was due to their specific types of products.
He said: “The Midwest, Great Plains and Northwestern USs have the highest 2.4-D use, largely because these regions are the primary producers of corn, soybeans, wheat and other field crops that are often treated with 2.4-d.”
No use of the toxic pesticide was seen in states such as California – known for producing artichokes, broccoli, carrots and lettuce – and states in the New England region.
Thin use of 2.4 -d was reported in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming – all known for producing onions, potatoes, carrots, lentils, sweet corn, beans, peppers and pumpkins.
The data also showed little use by farmers in Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, where agricultural products are mainly focused on celery, peas, Brussels sprouts, okra, radish, summer pumpkin, winter pumpkin, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Shocking, data from the CDC also shows that Kentucky has the high percentages of cancer in the US – in particular lung, colon and pancreatic cancer – closely followed by Iowa and Louisiana.
Federal agencies in the US, including the Environmental Protection Agency, have considered 2.4-D as safe for people, despite research that otherwise suggests.
Although not completely forbidden throughout the European Union, 2.4-D is strongly limited and its use is considerably limited in many countries in the region.
In such a case, the herbicide is not approved for use on lawns and gardens in countries such as Denmark and Norway.
Due to its ability to fully destroy vegetation, the International Agency for Research to Cancer classified 2.4-D in 2015 as a ‘possible human carcinogenic substance’
A 2022 BMC study Discovered that one in three Americans had higher than acceptable levels of exposure to the toxic herbicide and the risk of leukemia in children, birth errors and reproductive problems in adults.
According to Naturals Defense Council, scientists have previously also found connections between exposure to 2.4-D and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a form of blood cancer) and sarcoma (a soft tissue cancer).
Moreover, the agency warned that a high exposure to the herbicide can change the functioning of different hormones, including estrogen, androgen and thyroid hormones, releasing the way for cancer development.
Gerald Leblanc, professor at the Biological Sciences department, North Carolina State University, said Newsweek: ‘IARC has classified 2.4-D as a carcinogenic substances from group 2B, which means that it is possible carcinogen for people.
“In my estimate, 2,4-D can cause cancer in humans, but only with unrealistic high exposure levels.”
However, it is possible that the herbicide can cause internal body damage over time if it is consumed by food.
Toxins are often stored in fat tissues, organs such as liver and kidneys and even in nerve cells and bone marrow when taken.
An overload of harmful toxins in the body can ultimately cause fatal damage to cells, tissue and crucial organs.
Ramacandran noted: ‘The problem is that pesticides can stay on or in food, and chronic exposure to diet is linked to increased risks of metabolic syndrome, cancers and other health problems.
“They can also infect water, air and soil, allowing people to be affected who live near treated fields or that are exposed by drift and drain.”
As a result, he advised Americans to thoroughly wash all fruit and vegetables for consumption; Consider choosing organic products to reduce exposure to pesticides diet, especially for children and pregnant women; And avoid entering fields or areas that have recently been treated with pesticides and follow the warnings. ‘
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