Peach wood - should I worry about pesticides??

[TonyL]

Hi all---I have an opportunity to grab some nice sized Peach logs from the orchard next door to me before they burn them up, but this is a commercial Peach farm and they definitely treat their orchards with pesticides. I've noticed a few people post warnings on using pesticide treated wood. So I'm wondering does anyone have any further detail on using fruit wood that's been hit with pesticide for many seasons? Is there a difference between using the younger limbs vs the older trunks of the trees?

I'm not sure how much residual pesticide makes it into the trunk of a peach tree, so I'd appreciate anyone that has insight into this. I'd be cutting the logs into chunks to use for flavor/smoke wood, not so much for a heat source.

I'd wager a guess that 95% of apple/peach orchards in the US are treated with pesticides, so I'd think that anytime you are buying fruit wood you should expect it not to be from an organic orchard. Maybe I'm wrong? It's not that I'm overly paranoid about this sort of thing, but I've seen the question raised and just wondering if there is a definitive answer.

Thanks!

[W.A.]

No..........

[Spinaker]

I burn apple from an orchard and we spray it. I'm still around. (Physically anyway)

[RonB]

I found this article online:

https://ask.extension.org/questions/269538

[TonyL]

Helpful article, thanks for posting.
I've used this same seasoned peach wood before and haven't had anything but great results, so I think I'll continue on blissfully unaware...

[Dr ROK]

If you're real worried, just don't use the bark.

[CandySueQ]

Every stick of cooking wood sold in the State of Florida has to go thru an insect treatment (i.e., pesticide).

[Willy]

I suspect the warnings against treated wood are for treated lumber--aka pressure treated lumber, which should NEVER be used for burning--food or fireplace. I can't imagine that wood cut from an orchard would present any measurable risk. Don't forget, even "organic" orchards use some pesticides. Organic does NOT mean pesticide free.

[Mr. Bones]

I wholeheartedly agree with being concerned, but, I ask this, after careful thought, and consideration...

Ain't we all been eatin' the apples, n peaches?

Reckon I have, at least...

Usin' the wood, as well, but it often sits several years, and seasons out...

[DWCowles]

Good comeback

[docblonder]

Depends on the pesticide. If you remove the bark, then most of the residual organic pesticides will degrade on burning. Wood smoke is already carcinogenic, so a bit of burned pesticide is not of big incremental concern.

BUT, some older orchards were treated with heavy metal pesticides, containing copper and arsenic and other metals. These are persistent and will not age away. Some trees pull the heavy metals into the wood through the roots. Normally, it is the roots and leaves which are most affected. Every once in a while, a few bad trees end up as chips in a compost pile, and set off alarms when the compost is tested.

If the orchard says they never used heavy metal pesticides, I'm not too worried. Even if they did apply heavy metals years ago, very little wood smoke actually ends up on the meat. But you should avoid breathing the smoke, if that is possible.

Heavy metals kill slowly and silently, so we tend to laugh off the danger. In large quantities (like Flint's water supply or some dolphin meat) heavy metals are either deadly or directly cause permanent mental decline. But your case is probably on the low quantity, low exposure side of the ledger.

[Willy]

To add to docblonder 's comments on heavy metals, you can still easily find "organic" web sites today that recommend a copper spray for fruit trees. A Google search will turn up plenty of 'em. I repeat--"organic" does not mean pesticide-free. It doesn't necessarily even mean safer.