Do you love peaches, strawberries and apples?

According to the 2011 edition of Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, these fruits have higher levels of pesticide residues.

Pesticides can be extremely toxic to human health and the environment. Both U.S. and international government agencies have linked pesticides to cancer, nervous system toxicity, hormone system disruption and IQ deficits among children.

Each year Environmental Working Group analyzes nearly 100,000 produce pesticide reports from the USDA and the FDA to determine what fruits and vegetables contain the highest (the “Dirty Dozen”) and lowest (the “Clean 15″) amounts of chemical residue.

What can you do?  If you can’t shop organic produce, at least avoid the Dirty Dozen and opt for the Clean 15.

By avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly 92 percent.

Here is a fabulous list from the EWG website.