The soil and groundwater resources are contaminated with lead from batteries
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Hyderabad: The soil and groundwater resources are contaminated with lead from batteries used in automobiles, discharge from the ceramic industry, plastic toys and also packaging materials. From there, the dangerous metals make it to the food chain.
Senior scientist Mukul Das, of the Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, said, “The major route through which lead and other heavy metals find their way into the food chain is via the recycling of lead acid batteries commonly used in automobiles. These batteries pollute air, water and also soil.”
The other sources are oil paints, toys, and packaging material used by the food industry that contain lead. Food expert B. Dinesh Kumar, from the National Institute of Nutrition, said, “The waste material of most of these industries is flushed out without being treated. The machineries creating food storage packages are hardly checked.”
Another issue, about which the scientists have been raising concerns, is the use of chemically coated non-stick pans and utensils. Dr Shashank Joshi, endocrinologist, who has been working on the chemicals contained in Teflon-coated pans, said: “The chemicals in these pans get added to our foods. Most households find it easy to cook on non-stick pans, but there are some chemicals which enter the food on a daily basis. The increasing burden of endocrine diseases could also be due to the utensils that are used for cooking.”
( Source : dc correspondent )
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