Whether you’re a grower or a consumer, or both, there are always questions that arise when it comes to the quality and potency of the crop. Typically, one of the major concerns that plague both sides of industry is about pesticides.
Usually, when people think about pesticides they conjure images of green plumes of smoke that lands on their fresh fruit and other produce, but it’s a lot less overtly menacing than that. Pesticides are great for crops, whether for outdoor or indoor growlabs and hydroponic systems because they help keep the plant insect-free. Yet, people are still concerned for many reasons, which are outlined below.
Do I ingest pesticide residue?
When pesticides are used on the plants, they will usually still have trace amounts of the pesticide on the flowers by the time they reach the consumer. The main concern with this information is whether or not the pesticides make it into the bloodstream of the consumer. According to Leafly.com, the answer is a straight and simple yes. A lab out in California published their results after scientific research that concluded that a large amount of the trace pesticides are absorbed into the body. They measured two different smoking mediums and found alarmingly high amounts of pesticide (65% and 50%) that were ingested by the subjects, which then made it’s way into the bloodstream through the alveoli in the lungs.
How much pesticide is too much?
When it comes to the health and wellbeing of your body, any amount of pesticide ingestion is too much. However, there is no scientific data that directly concludes that a certain amount of specific pesticide (commonly diazinon, paclobutrazol, bifenthrin, or permethrin) will do a measurable amount of damage to your body. Some of these pesticides aren’t approved by the FDA for use on traditional food crops, so it might be safe to say that there are definite and valid concerns about the effects they may have if ingested.
Pesticides, although more commonly used for outdoor crops, can be used in all types of grow situations. Growlabs that use hydroponic grow supplies and irrigation can still be contaminated with pesticides if the grow setting isn’t perfectly controlled. Sure, hydroponic crops use 90% less water than the same strain via soil farming (according to farmers), but they aren’t totally immune to the insects. So, whether you’re a grower, consumer, or both, it’s important to know the health risks associated with pesticide consumption.
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