This unit focuses on the consumer and considers whether or not we should be concerned about any pesticide residues that may be found on fruit and vegetables. In the first activity, ‘Pesticides: are you ‘bothered’?, students investigate how the safe dose of a chemical is determined.

In the second activity students carry out a risk assessment on spinach using data from a report by the Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC). The PCR is responsible for assessing the risk to consumers from residues left on fruit and vegetables.

The quarterly reports from the PRC sometimes make headline news. In such reports, the full data may not be included or considered; which may lead to biased reporting and/or headlines. In the third activity students have the opportunity to analyse newspaper articles before making up their own minds how they feel about the issue.