Local seasonal fruits and vegetables are increasingly promoted as a healthier option. Not only do they ensure fresh and nutrient-packed produce, but there are smaller transportation costs compared to flying across hemispheres to access winter strawberries. However, even this strategy cannot ensure complete peace of mind. In Spain, despite the preference for produce fresh from the market and grown nearby, residents are still exposed to unwanted pesticides.

A new found that every person tested had at least one pesticide in their bodies. All of these compounds are and known to be potentially harmful. Women had more pesticide, fungicide, and insecticide measurements. Older adults showed higher chemical levels. Both urban and semi-rural residents carried residues.

Six different chemicals were included in the testing: , , several , and . These compounds have been used as pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and industrial chemicals. They enter the body via foods, water, and airborne exposure, accumulating in fatty tissue. Persistent substances are resistant to being broken down by light, chemical, and biological processes; as a result, they remain in the environment, being moved around by water and air currents, and travelling from soil into plants. Residues are often found far from source locations, as demonstrated by high PCB levels in Arctic animals and residents.

Every person, of 387 participants, had detectable DDE levels, while most also had other tested substances. Older people were thought to have greater levels due to bioaccumulation over time and/or unregulated use of chemicals in the past. Currently, there are bans on many of the measured substances. One path for chemicals is through eating meat, especially with higher fat levels. As in humans, persistent organic compounds are stored in adipose tissue of domestic animals, such as pigs and cattle. Because these animals are fed with grain and other plants, and soil contaminants can transfer into crops, even banned compounds can appear in the food chain.

The likelihood is that this result is probably representative of most countries. Even where chemical use is restricted, compounds endure and move around. Some countries still actively use persistent organic compounds, and so we are all exposed to them. Hopefully, ever-increasing awareness of the issue will ensure the elimination of damaging chemicals.