From the sprawling vineyards of the Bay Area to the strawberry fields of the Central Coast and orchards of the Central Valley, California remains an a

Farm pesticides found floating in California air samples; state officials say it’s OK

submited by

Style Pass

2024-11-05 13:30:04

From the sprawling vineyards of the Bay Area to the strawberry fields of the Central Coast and orchards of the Central Valley, California remains an agricultural juggernaut, producing more fruits, vegetables and nuts than any other state in the nation.

But every year, California growers apply more than 180 million pounds of pesticides to crops in an effort to defend them from weeds, fungi, insects and other pests.

Now, state regulators report that they have found detectable levels of pesticides floating in the air in multiple large farming regions.

Although state officials insist that none of the samples exceeded safe limits, environmentalists and anti-pesticide activists say the compounds pose a far greater risk than the state is willing to acknowledge.

“These are chemicals that are designed, often, to be biologically active,” said David Andrews, a senior scientist with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. “Pesticides, broadly, are linked to such an incredible range of health problems, from cancer to hormone disruption to impact on the immune system. California is a major producer of food crops, and there are significant concerns about the racial and social disparities in exposure to pesticides.”