7d (edited) • General discussion
Heavy metal environmental contaminations
For the past several decades the concern of heavy metal toxins in our foods has been on the rise. Mother's, no longer feeding their children rice cereal because of fear of arsenic in high levels. Cadmium and lead in dangerous amounts found in many food products.
Many are taught to believe that these harmful contaminants are naturally in the soil but that is not the truth.
Unfortunately, the heavy use of mined chemical fertilizers, pesticides and industrial agricultural practices have caused mass contamination to the soils, waterways, and ecosystems in which we grow our food and live.
Lead arsenate and calcium arsenate that have been heavily used on orchards (apples, peaches) and other crops until the mid-20th century, have created severe contamination.
The majority of phosphorus-based fertilizers, specifically Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) contains elevated levels of inorganic arsenic, with studies indicating a mass contribution in arsenic accumulation in commercial agricultural soils.
In regions like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and parts of China the groundwater containing high natural levels of arsenic is used for irrigation has significantly increased contamination in topsoil. The contamination levels rise to extreme levels in the flooded fields of rice.
Exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked to a greatly increased risk of cancer, build up in the organs especially the brain is linked to autism, as well as endocrine disruption disorders.
Now that we know the severity of the issue, what can we do about it?
Our purchasing decisions have great power. By choosing to buy from organic permaculture oriented farmers who do practices to heal and regenerate soil, test their soils for contaminants, and use practices such as biochar refertilization we support the system that will heal.
Of course that option is not always available, the next best thing is to buy the fruits and vegetables low in arsenic contamination and avoid ones that are known for high contamination levels.
Fruiting crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, peas, beans, corn, melons and strawberries – absorb very little arsenic in the parts that you eat.
Leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale, mustard and turnip greens – store more arsenic in the leaves than other types of vegetables.
Root vegetables like beets, turnips, carrots, radishes and potatoes – have arsenic mostly in their skins. Peeling these vegetables will get rid of most of the arsenic, but avoid eating the peel or composting as this would put arsenic back into the soil.
Apples, pears and grapes – have high levels of arsenic absorption
Apple, pear and grape juice –Juices you mix from concentrate could have higher arsenic if made with arsenic-containing water. Keep in mind that the majority of fruit juices especially apple come from China where the level of arsenic contamination in the water is very high.
Cadmium contamination in the soil like arsenic is also found in phosphorus fertilizers however it also finds its way into our soil and waterways via air exposure from mining activities. Cadmium is also known to be a large cause of cancer.
The main crop containing cadmium to avoid is tobacco. Recent studies revealed that it is not so much the nicotine in the plant that has the negative and cancerous effects but the heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium.
Rice, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, soybeans, sunflowers, and peanuts that are commercially grown contaminated soils and mining areas have high levels of cadmium.
High levels of lead have also worked their ways into our soil networks and waterways via pesticide contamination, past use of leaded gasoline, lead paint, and other human activities. Unfortunately lead is the most prolific of the heavy metal contaminants and the hardest to remedy. Oftentimes it is impossible to remove the lead from the soil once it is there. It is also the most easily airborne heavy metal contaminant. This means that it can lift out of the soil or the waterways and become airborne. It is also present in the air in areas with heavy mining. So not only will it accumulate on the plants itself causing further contamination but it can be breathed in if you live in contaminated areas.
Root vegetables and below ground crops will have the highest levels of lead contamination. Leafy greens will have moderate levels of lead contamination. And fruiting plants and trees will typically have the least amount of contamination.
The third resource at our disposal to avoid diseases caused by exposure to heavy metals is to understand how to support the organs that detoxify these metal contaminants from the body.
A naturopathic or holistic doctor can be a great asset in assisting this process. A combination of herbs, homeopathic remedies, and the implementation of practices such as acupuncture and yoga can greatly aid the body in the detoxification process.
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Heavy metal environmental contaminations
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