The results of this study indicate that exposure to pesticides reduces when we eat organic products instead of conventionally grown food, and clarifies the significance of food as a source of exposure to chemicals.
In this study they were able to determine that the concentrations of selected pesticides decreased by an average of a factor of 9.5 when the family switched to organic food, which probably means that their total chemical load decreases. In relative terms, the children’s load decreased more than the adults’ in the food switch, probably due to their higher food intake relative to their body weight. The same exposure to chemicals results in higher concentrations of chemical residues in the bodies of children than in adults (Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014). Choosing organic foods not only reduces the levels of a number of pesticides that we are exposed to through what we eat, but also reduces the risk of a long-term impact and combination effects.