Lychee Deaths Caused By Pesticides; Ways To Remove Pesticides From Fruits

The death of over 100 children after consuming lychee in Bihar's Muzaffarpur in 2014 had created a furore. A recent study has found that the death was not due to lychee but the death was caused due a pesticide, endosulfan.

The study was published in the The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene recently. During the study researchers found that a number of pesticides that includes endosulfan which has been banned since 2011 caused the brain damage among children.

During the study, the researchers interviewed families that worked in lychee orchards. So most affected children had consumed lychees that were fallen on the orchards and peeling away the skin with their teeth. The outbreak was linked to lychee orchard exposures where agrochemicals were routinely used, but not to consumption of lychees.

The children had brain swelling that resembled symptoms of acute encephalitis, following which they died.

However, earlier in January 2017, In The Lancet Global Health, published a study where they had stated that the death was caused by the fruit. The researchers studied 390 patients admitted to the two referral hospitals in Muzaffarpur between May 26, and July 17, 2014 with symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome.

They concluded that skipping the evening meal after consumption of lychee resulted in low blood glucose level and acute encephalopathy that provoked seizures and coma, causing death in many cases.

Check out for the ways to remove pesticides from fruits.

1. Washing Fruits With Salt Water:
Add a bit of salt in the water and then wash the fruits with this salt water. This helps in removing the pesticides from the surface of the fruits. This can be followed with vegetables as well.

2. Soak Fruits In Warm Water:
Take a bowl of warm water and then soak the fruits in it for about 10-15 minutes before consuming helps in getting rid of the pesticides.

3. Use Vinegar:
Add half a glass of vinegar in a bowl of water. Soak the fruits in vinegar water and stir it for a while. This helps in removing the pesticides from the fruits.