Ali Abdel Sayyed, an environmental contaminants expert at Miguel Montreal University, said laboratory analysis of local agricultural products in Benghazi, Tripoli, and Misrata found that 44.7% of samples exceeded safe pesticide residue limits. He told Al-Masar TV that 34% of the tested samples were completely free of pesticide residues, while another 20% fell within accepted safety levels.
Abdel Sayyed noted that peppers, strawberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes were among the crops with the highest contamination rates. Beets, zucchini, turnips, green onions, and chard showed moderate risk levels. Citrus fruits and potatoes were found to have low contamination risk.