Here Are the 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables, Ranked

EWG’s 2024 Dirty Dozen List Reveals High Pesticide Contamination in Produce

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released its annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, commonly known as the Dirty Dozen list. Since 2004, this nonprofit organization has analyzed pesticide contamination in nonorganic fruits and vegetables using data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Unfortunately, this year’s findings highlight significant pesticide exposure in fresh produce.
According to the report, 75% of all conventional fresh produce tested contained residues of potentially harmful pesticides. However, for the Dirty Dozen, the contamination rate jumps to a staggering 95%.

Among the most frequently detected pesticides are the fungicides fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, and pyrimethanil. Notably, fludioxonil and pyrimethanil appeared in the highest concentrations. These chemicals are associated with serious health risks, including liver, endocrine, and neurological disruptions, as noted in a University of Wisconsin-Madison study. Pyrimethanil, found predominantly on pears, has also been linked to thyroid disruption and interference with androgen receptors.

Findings from the USDA and FDA
The USDA and FDA examined 47,510 samples across 46 different fruits and vegetables, detecting traces of 254 pesticides—209 of which were found on the Dirty Dozen list.
EWG senior toxicologist Alexis Temkin explained to CNN that the variation in pesticide levels depends largely on how these crops are grown. For instance, avocados require fewer pesticides, whereas strawberries, which grow close to the ground and are highly susceptible to pests, tend to have higher contamination levels.
The 2024 Dirty Dozen List
The top two most contaminated foods—strawberries and spinach—remain unchanged from last year’s ranking. Meanwhile, grapes saw the biggest jump, moving from No. 8 in 2023 to No. 4 this year. Alarmingly, green beans were found to contain acephate, an organophosphate neurotoxin banned over 13 years ago, in 6% of samples.
Here’s the full Dirty Dozen ranking for 2024:
1.Strawberries
2.Spinach
3.Kale, collard, and mustard greens
4.Grapes
5.Peaches
6.Pears
7.Nectarines
8.Apples
9.Bell and hot peppers
10.Cherries
11.Blueberries
12.Green beans

The Clean Fifteen: Low-Pesticide Produce
Despite the concerning pesticide levels in many fruits and vegetables, there is some good news. The EWG also publishes a Clean Fifteen list, which identifies produce with minimal or no pesticide residues. Encouragingly, nearly 65% of the items on this list had no detectable pesticide residues.
The top five on the Clean Fifteen list include avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, and papaya—all of which showed very low contamination.
Here’s the full Clean Fifteen ranking for 2024:
1.Avocados
2.Sweet corn
3.Pineapple
4.Onions
5.Papaya
6.Sweet peas (frozen)
7.Asparagus
8.Honeydew melons
9.Kiwi
10.Cabbages
11.Watermelon
12.Mushrooms
13.Mangoes
14.Sweet potatoes
15.Carrots