It’s amazing to consider how much we’ve all been exposed to pesticides.  These nasty compounds were developed by bright scientists during war time, and were found beneficial to farmers only since then – in the past 60 years.  Some, such as DDT, were banned once they were found to damage reproductivity of native bird species.  Others, such as PCBs or Dioxin, weren’t banned until humans living in areas of high concentrations were found to have an abnormally high rate of cancers.  Studies of fetal umbilical cord sampling found 287 chemicals present – some had even been banned years before.  These chemicals included carcinogens, neurotoxins, and developmental toxins.  Even before birth, we’ve been exposed to toxic chemicals.  It’s ironic that farmers are still using many banned chemicals – even in north america.  They are able to lobby the government for permission, citing that there are no alternatives, and their livelihood is at stake.  So, what can we do to protect ourselves?