Pesticides

As most here probably already know pesticides cause parkinson's disease. The past days several articles were published about the matter.

Now, my father has PD. He always took care of his food. He always ate vegetables, especially green salad. I know he has a gene making him more prone to get PD, but I suspect that the vegetables he ate might have been the trigger for getting the disease.

I would like to buy a device to measure the amount of pesticide in the food. Does anyone here know if such devices exist ?
Hi, can you tell me where the articles were published? Can't help about measuring amount in food.You could try contacting the Soil Association who have guidelines about organic food. Buying organic food for him? Thanks
i thought the recent articles said that pesticides were not to blame?
I think it's Roundup that's in the dock at the moment, but there's no firm evidence either way as yet.
I do know of one person who had PD who had worked in agriculture, back in the days before the use of chemicals was better regulated, and the link between agricultural chemicals and PD was publicised. He talked of how he would regularly become drenched in the chemical sprays that he was applying, and felt that this was the likely cause of his PD.

As to whether the level of chemicals on/in foodstuffs is able to cause PD, the jury is still out; but it would make sense to reduce the chemicals we ingest. The sensitivity of an individual to such chemicals is probably difficult to measure.

Switching to all organic foodstuffs is probably the only way to personally take control of such exposure.
RE your question about a home-use device for testing chemicals on foods: I suspect that is a bit beyond a cost-effective piece of equipment that you would have in your kitchen, as it falls more into a laboratory analysis area.

As suggested, the Soil Association is probably your best source of information on how to source supplies of foodstuffs that meet organic standards.

http://www.soilassociation.org/
keeping in mind that us folk with pd are the only people on the planet who needn't worry about getting it... just looking on the bright side.
"Turnip: keeping in mind that us folk with pd are the only people on the planet who needn't worry about getting it... just looking on the bright side."

I like your glass-half-full outlook, Turnip!

This is standard way of testing:

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/articles/2013/09/high-end-tools-needed-multiple-pesticide-analyses

Not practical for at home ... BUT a new invention might change this in the future:

http://www.gizmag.com/pesticide-biosensor-brazil/27912/