Protecting from pesticides

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

PESTICIDES have become a pest in Sri Lanka these days. Excessive use of pesticides has not only harmed the health of people, but has also caused significant damage to the environment. However, until recently, the true extent of the damage and the number of pesticides that are responsible for the damage have not been brought prominently into the public eye. Unfortunately, now that they have, the entire issue seems to have become a politicised argument rather than a unifying force to take action.

Recently there was an announcement that as many as 28 types of pesticides contain arsenic and 10 pesticides have mercury, two substances that are banned under the Pesticides Act of 2001. According to reports, these studies were conducted by the Kelaniya and Rajarata Universities and the findings subsequently released to the media. This created a chorus of contention since the pesticides were also held responsible for health problems faced by residents of agrarian regions.

In true Sri Lankan style, the Agriculture Ministry denied the claims and insisted that no pesticides had been imported containing mercury or arsenic. The more practical move would have been to conduct a wide and transparent testing on all pesticides imported to Sri Lanka and find the root causes of the allegations.

There was also an unruly incident at the Agriculture Ministry when a press conference was convened to only showcase the findings of the Ministry and completely disregarded the claims made by the first study, even though those officials arrived at the Ministry at the time of the press conference to present their case. This sort of biased behaviour does not bode well for the people.

Farmers use pesticides because it provides them with a better crop. Since their lives depend on this, they cannot be faulted for using the most effective pesticides without knowing that they contain arsenic. Consumers fall into the trap when they purchase fruits and vegetables that may contain these banned substances.

Even a cursory glance at the effects of arsenic poisoning is frightening. Arsenic exposure causes high blood pressure, heart attacks and other circulatory disease. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney. It can also cause other skin changes such as thickening and pigmentation. The likelihood of effects is related to the level of exposure to arsenic and in areas where drinking water is heavily contaminated, these effects can be seen in many individuals in the population. These are not points that should be taken lightly by the Government.

The credibility of the Agriculture Ministry lies in intensely scrutinising these pesticides and finding out what harm can be caused by them to people and the environment. It does not lie in ignoring the evidence or selectively presenting facts. Disregarding these instances can result in significant harm to the population and would be counterproductive to Sri Lanka’s attempts at development.

Excessive or improper use of pesticides has also wiped out smaller fish and birdlife from farming areas. Ensuring that pesticide harm is minimised goes hand in hand with creating awareness among farming communities of its dangers. It is the Agriculture Ministry’s responsibility to listen, understand and take remedial measures.