By: Ahmad Mahdavi

Ahmad Mahdavi — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:53:56 +0000

Pesticide residues: More threat to children
According to my calculation many years ago during my Ms research working on pesticide residue analysis in
apples: a particular amount of insecticide residue in apples that may be tolerated by an adult is harmful for a child and this depends on the body weight. This fact could be generalized for all food products and particularly for vegetables and fruits. These calculations were based on Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) determined by food codex Committee In Rome (a joint committee between FAO and WHO). The body tolerance of a 20 Kg child is quiet different than a 80 Kg adult. The other reason for lower tolerance threshold for children as compared to adults is using less diverse food by children. According to my findings during PhD research in Canada at the university of Guelph and also finding by others: consuming more diverse food and particularly more diverse vegetables and fruits inducts a higher level/ more diverse metabolizing/ detoxifying enzymes in body. These metabolizing enzymes are developed more and more in body as age increases.
Best regards,
Ahmad Mahdavi,
PhD, pesticide environmental toxicologist,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Comments on: Hazardous Pesticides Found in Children Who Eat Chemically-Treated Foods

By: Ahmad Mahdavi