In Uddanam in Srikakulam district, an estimated 10,000 people have died in the last seven years of just one ailment — chronic kidney disease or intestinal nephritis.
The victims were mainly engaged in agriculture, and researchers probing the cause of the deaths believe that exposure to high levels of pesticides and eating vegetables containing pesticide residue is the cause.
Dr A. Gopal Kishan, senior nephrologist and former superintendent of Osmania General Hospital, says continuous research and study of groups of the population is needed to establish the clinical relation between consumption of farm foods laced with banned pesticide residues and kidney ailments.
Doctors and nutritionists always advise us to eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, fruits and salads as they provide iron, vitamins, minerals and fibre, essential for a balanced diet. But most of these vegetables contain residues of pesticides that are widely used in Indian agriculture, which can trigger myriad health problems including possible kidney ailments.
According to Dr V. Suresh Babu, senior nephrologist at the Yashoda Hospital, whether pre-existing kidney disease is aggravated by consumption of high levels of pesticide residues or whether exposure to pesticides directly causes renal failure, is yet to be established and needs more research.
“But, certainly, if the pesticide contains heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, or substances like borates and copper sulphate, then chronic kidney disease, irrespective of one’s age, is quite possible as the kidney feels the pressure of excreting all these toxic materials from the body,” he says.
Dr S.Vijay Mohan, consultant general physician, Care Hospital, says there is a link between chronic kidney ailments and pesticide residues in vegetables.
“The kidney is an excretory organ and has one million microscopic nephrons (functional unit of the kidney), that filters the blood and rids the body of toxins. But pesticide residues often have bigger molecular weight that can’t be filtered out by these minute nephrons and get stuck. As a result, all these toxic chemicals can't be flushed out of the body, resulting in kidney failure.”
Besides affecting the kidney, pesticides can have other ill-effects, such as cancer, especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukaemia, malfunctioning of reproductive organs, birth defects, neurological disorders, immuno-suppressive disorders, gastroenteritis, diminished intelligence, respiratory and cardiac problems.
Deadly chemicals effects
*Malathion: Is a neurotoxin and can cause leukemia, ulcers, allergic reactions and immuno suppression.
*Carbaryl: May damage the kidneys and nervous system and cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
*Endosulfan (banned): Affects kidneys, liver, reproductive organs.
*Dimethoate: Can cause birth defects, reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity.
*Phorate: Has neurological, neuromuscular effects.
*Carbofuran : Affects the nervous system.
*Chlorpyrifos: Causes headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, depression, affects concentration, memory.
Alternatives to use of pesticides
Experts say that even though the use of chemical pesticides can't be totally checked, its harmful effects can be minimised to a great extent by use of natural pesticides like neem cakes, educating farmers and introducing a proper monitoring system.
The NIN scientist, Dr Padmaja Rambabu, who has undertaken a project to educate farm women to minimise the use of pesticide at the farm and household levels, said, “Farmers should be continuously made aware of the proper use of pesticides, in the right dose and the right type, and should be encouraged to use natural pest-control measures. The government should also provide protective kits to the cultivators. Those having space in their homes can grow a kitchen garden.”
To minimise or neutralise the effects of pesticide residues, doctors advise consumers to thoroughly wash raw vegetables in running water, boil or cook them properly and avoid eating salads or raw vegetables in hotels and restaurants.
A strong consumer movement to push for organic farming, without the use of pesticides, and supporting farmers and companies that do not use chemicals in the food chain, are other ways of ensuring we eat and stay healthy.
