Pesticides endanger health in northern Kerala

MUMBAI: Kerala’s Kasaragode district is witnessing a growing rate of disease and deformity linked to the use of endosulfan, a toxic pesticide used in cashew plantations, according to a recent report of the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, This is another warning against the uncontrolled use of pesticides and the urgent need to investigate its impact on the food chain and human health.The confidential report said that the spraying of endosulfan has caused congenital abnormalities, neurological problems and had an impact on the reproductive health of Kasaragode residents. High levels of endosulfan also were found in the blood samples of children, and in drinking water sources. The pesticide threat to the country’s human, animal and bird population looms large. A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research in 1993 found alarming levels of benzene hexa-chloride (BHC), an extremely toxic pesticide, in over 2,000 cow and buffalo milk samples collected from 12 states over a period of seven years. The worst contamination was detected in samples from AP, Bihar and UP. DDT residues were found in 82 per cent of the samples—with 37 per cent exceeding the tolerance limit. Maharashtra, Gujarat, AP, HP and Punjab recorded the maximum DDT levels. Organo-chlorines such as DDT are known to cause lymphatic cancer in rats and mice, and are certain to affect human beings, animals and birds through vector control residues found in food and in the environment, ‘Down to Earth’ magazine reported, quoting experts from the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre in Lucknow. The average daily diet of an Indian contains 0.27 mg of DDT, according to a report published in 1991. Researchers say that this amount has since increased, but systematic all-India studies are still lacking. A book published by The Pesticide Trust in 1993 reveals a frightening amount of DDT residues in infant milk formula, bottled milk and human breast milk. A high-level of pesticide residues was also found in vegetables, cereals, pulses and meat. Chemicals like DDT, HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane are proven killers, experts say. Of these, DDT and dieldrin are the most dangerous because of their subtle and widespread effect on birds and the socalled benefits they confer as an agriculture pesticide. They belong to a class of chemicals called endocrine disruptors. These disrupt the immune, nervous and endocrine systems and affect cellular and molecular processes that regulate developmental, endocrine and immunological functions. Many of these even mimic and interfere with male and female hormones, modifying development and reproduction. The danger of these endocrine disruptors is well documented by Western researchers. The first to get affected are vultures and other birds of prey, which being on top of the food chain indicate contamination in the environment. The disappearance of the American bald eagle, for instance, is attributed to the effect of these chemicals on embryonic development, by reducing egg-shell thickness. Endocrine disrupters also cause feminisation of male embryos and change mating and parenting behaviour. They disrupt normal hormone levels, halting or stimulating the production of hormones, or changing the way hormones travel through the body.