What does organic really mean anyway?

“Organic” when used to describe agricultural products and the goods made from them is more of a marketing term than a scientific one. The general expectation is that products marketed as “Organic” contain no toxic pesticides and that the crops have not been genetically altered.

Scientific evidence notwithstanding, some people cling to the view that all chemical (ie. synthetic) pesticides are bad and that only “natural” pesticides can be used safely.

There are also a variety of views on what “genetically altered” actually means. Farmers have been genetically altering crops for thousands of years so the argument really becomes what are acceptable and non-acceptable forms of genetic alteration.

In reality, organic certified simply means that a government authority says this crop meets it’s “organic” standards. Because these standards are set by politicians, not scientists, they are prone to change like other political issues. Before you pay a lot of extra money for those organic king sheet sets look at the labels a little closer. Do they specify who has certified that they are organic? Is it an agency you can trust?

Is there really a difference between “chemical free” and “organic”? You’ll need to make that final decision yourself. In either case, Egyptian Cotton is still your best (and safest) choice. See why in my next article.

How is “Chemical Free” related to Toxicity?

As we discussed in our last article, the term “organic” is not a very scientific way to determine if something is good or bad for you. Scientists determine how “good” or “bad” something is for you by measuring its toxicity. One standard method of doing this is measuring the LD50. In a series of experiments, groups of test subjects are given varying doses of the chemical in question and the researchers record how may subjects die as a result of that exposure. The dose required to kill 1/2 of the subjects is known as the LD50 (Lethal Dose for 50% of the subjects)

Although this test is the accepted standard, there are some problems. The only thing it tells you for sure is the LD50 for the test subjects you used in your experiment. If you were testing a new pesticide for boll weevils, you would want it to be very toxicto boll weevils. Repeating the same experiment using rats could give quite different results and using humans would be unthinkable.

Because we can’t (and should not) use humans as test subjects, we really don’t know for sure what effects low dosages of chemicals have on humans.  As a substitute, scientists determine levels that are known to be toxic to animals (usually mice) and then compute a safety factor of 1/10 , 1/100 or in some cases 1/1000 of that dose and define it as the “allowable level.” In some cases, government agencies add their own level of safety by only permitting levels 1/10 of those establish by the scientists resulting in a safety factor of 1/10,000 or more!

So “chemical free” products are really products that contain no chemicals that exceed “allowable” toxicity levels for that chemical. So go ahead… buy that set of chemical free twin size Egyptian cotton sheets  you’ve been looking at.

Still considering “organic” cotton sheets? Before you buy, see my next article to see what “organic” really means.

What Chemicals are “Chemicals?“ 

As we have discussed in previous articles, there really is no such thing as “chemical free.” Everything we see and touch is composed of one or more chemical compounds. So when someone says there product is “chemical free,” what they are really trying to say is that it contains “good chemicals” and no “bad chemicals.” Sometimes the term “organic” is thrown in the mix to emphasize the “good chemical” concept.

I terms of chemistry, ”organic” simply means any carbon containing compound. (Click Here if you don’t believe me) By this definition, the molecule of methane (shown to left) is an organic molecule and could legitimately be called “organic.” However, none of you would want your kids breathing this stuff because it is also known as natural gas… great for heating your house or BBQ but not at all healthy in your lungs. So in chemical terms… organic doesn’t tell you if a chemical is “good” or “bad” for you.

Still worried about chemical residues in that set of queen size Egyptian cotton sheets you’ve been thinking of buying? The real issue is not “chemicals” or “organic” it’s toxicity. Read my next article to find out how scientists determine toxicity and how it relates to those Egyptian cotton sheets you’re thinking of buying.

Why Do Cotton Growers Use Chemicals?

Technically, anything and everything we see, touch or feel is a chemical of some sort. However, when people use this term in daily conversation, they are usually referring to man-made (synthetic) chemicals.

Cotton crops are frequently plagued by numerous pests, the Cotton Boll Weevil being the most well known. Boll Weevil larvae feed on the growing cotton bolls and make the cotton unusable. A infestation can wipe out an entire cotton crop and bankrupt the grower. To protect their livelihood, cotton growers have become increasingly dependant on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Some experts estimate that the cotton industry is responsible for approximately 1/4 the world wide use of these products.

Due to the well documented harm caused by DDT and other early synthetic pesticides, the public has become quite fearful about any “chemical” used in agriculture. Some consumers worry that the cotton fibers in the Cal King sheet sets they just purchased might still be coated with toxic chemical residues.

Is this worry justified? What options do consumers have available? Read the following articles and find out.