| Pesticides Can't Hide From New Technology |
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| Written by Erika Fredrickson | |
| Wednesday, 10 December 2008 | |
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I'll admit that the first time I heard “quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer” it made me think of Doc's DeLorean flux capacitor in Back to the Future. The spectrometer is nothing as spectacular as a time machine, but if you add an atmospheric pressure glow-discharge source you've got something pretty cool. Know what I mean? The spectrometer can analyze pesticides in foods, but generally that requires extracting the pesticide from the food first. That's fine for lab work, but what if you want to detect pesticides in your food before you eat them? Zurich scientists have found that using the spectrometer and glow-discharge source together allows you to take aim at a surface and detect if there are any pesticides in it. This is how it works if you were to analyze a piece of fruit: A plasma stream detaches molecules from the surface of the peel. The molecules are transferred directly into the mass spectrometer and the ions are fragmented using a collision gas. The pesticide can then be identified. So what does this have to do with us, the common person? I don't know if this technology is something individual consumers can use to check their groceries any time soon. And the technology doesn't yet detect how much pesticide is in your food. But certainly scientists have at least created a method to check warehouses or assembly lines of food. People often ingest pesticides without knowing it. It would be interesting to see if, with the technology to make more informed decisions, consumers might demand even more organic foods than they are now. Source: Science Daily
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  written by Israel Cleantech, December 21, 2008
I am in favour of any technology that can help us identify, at the very least, whether a harmful substance exists or not in close proximity. Although we would ideally be able to replace it entirely with alternate biological farming methods, it is amazing that no one has created a simple yes/no test until now. It would be a huge eye-opening experience for many consumers to know that the shiny red apple they are about to bite into is poisonous as Snow White's. Up until now, ignorance has been bliss when it comes to pesticides, but once we see it with our own eyes, the pressure on traditional agriculture will reach a critical mass.
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It's true what our moms said...we are what we eat. In fact, it's truer than they thought. What I eat doesn't just affect me anymore, it affects all of us.
Unfortunately, the story of food can sometimes be complicated. But envirovores help each other out...which is why this blog will be bringing you news, tips, and information about food and the environment every step of the way.
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