EWG
… Compared to the last time blueberries were tested, in 2014, more samples had detectable residues. Tests of 765 non-organic blueberry samples collected in 2020 and 2021 found more than 90 percent had pesticide residues, up from 81 percent with detectable residues in 2014.
There were other worrying findings:
- Just under 80 percent of samples had two or more pesticides, compared to 70 percent in 2014.
- A sample of blueberries had up to 17 different pesticide residues, compared to 13 in 2014.
The most troubling pesticides are phosmet and malathion, chemicals known as organophosphate insecticides. They kill many types of insects and are toxic to the human nervous system, especially children’s developing brains.
