Posted on 06/29/2010 1:10:40 PM PDT by Scythian
Odds are most supermarket strawberries come from California — that's where 90 percent of the berries are produced. And if the strawberries are not organic, they were likely grown in fumigated soil, which is creating a stir between scientists and regulators in California. The two groups recently faced off over the expected approval of a potentially dangerous pesticide.
Currently, farmers use a fumigant called methyl bromide. But it is being phased out internationally because it damages the ozone layer. And the leading alternative — methyl iodide — has its own set of problems
When the Environmental Protection Agency approved methyl iodide as a pesticide under the Bush administration in 2007, it was a controversial decision at the time. But California — which is the country's biggest user of the chemical — has its own review process.
"I was shocked," says Ed Loechler, a biology professor at Boston University.
Loechler served on the independent review panel that was brought in by state regulators to help staff scientists evaluate methyl iodide.
"The number in the notice is 120 times higher than the level that both the independent scientific review panel thought was safe, as well as their own internal experts thought would be safe, in terms of worker exposure," Loechler says.
According to an assessment produced by the panel and staff scientists, the safe exposure level for workers is 0.8 parts per billion. Anything over that, they said, would be unsafe.
"I honestly think that this chemical will cause disease and illness," says Froines, who chaired the panel. "And so does everyone else on the committee."
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
From Wikipedia:
Toxicity and biological effects
Methyl iodide has an LD50 for oral administration to rats 76 mg/kg, and in the liver it undergoes rapid conversion to S-methylglutathione.[6] It is a possible carcinogen based on ACGIH, NTP, or EPA classification.
Breathing methyl iodide fumes can cause lung, liver, kidney and central nervous system damage. It causes nausea, dizziness, coughing and vomiting. Prolonged contact with skin causes burns. Massive inhalation causes pulmonary edema.
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Coming to a strawberry cobbler near you ...
LOL!
“It was the strawberries!”
I'm not defending the practice, but cost is also a factor. Reduced disease leads to reduced spoilage/destruction which reduces the unit cost, sometimes substantially.
While I'm really not a fan of wide-spread pesticide use, the fact of the matter is that they(pesticides) do lower the cost of produce to the consumer, sometimes by quite a bit.
Ya, and they even reduce the number of consumers ...
and they KNOW it’s damaging the ozone layer HOW? Bring back DDT and CFCs. SAVE LIVES
Strawberries are easy to grow. There are varieties that will thrive in most parts of the United States. They will grow containers. If you worry about chemicals, play it safe and grow your own.
So now strawberries are gonna kill us? I have such a hard time keeping up with what is good for me and what will kill me.
We should be growing these in large underground greenhouses next to nuclear power plants which are to be lit during “non-peak hours”. Grow them hydroponically to prevent disease and bugs etc....
Just saying my plan would be better for “the earth” and put to use wasted nuclear energy. Plus the people we employ at the green houses can sleep during the day and more employment for all, huzzah!
What they do is cover rows with plastic, and pump poison into them. There is no way this can be good to eat.
I may have been exagerating on size being the ONLY benifit, but it is the main one I have seen sited.
Buy strawberries from your local grower. Keeps your $$$ in your town, and they taste better.
We grow some strawberries ourselves; But we also go to a ‘u-pick’ farm for more.
We sell them to neighbors who don't have the time or the ability to pick their own. We charge less than the grocery stores. We make enough to cover our costs and pay for canning supplies to have jam all year. Also frozen berries for smoothies all winter.
Think globally eat locally
Lemme guess. ... methyl bromide doesn’t have any kind of patent on it. ... methyl iodide does.
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