By Rokshana Yesmin
Dhaka, Sept 16, 2018 (BSS/UNICEF FEATURE) – The amount of pesticide residue found in vegetables, fruits and crops poses serious health risk for human body especially for children.
Farmers in our country apply various types of pesticides to protect the vegetables and crops from unwanted pests. However, they do not follow necessary guidelines or safety standard to get rid of the pesticide residue.
Health experts say pesticide substances are potentially toxic to human bodies and it can cause acute and chronic health hazards, depending on quantity and ways in which a person is exposed to.
They said pesticide substances which remain in human body due to various types of ignorance such as — not washing fruits and vegetables properly and farmers’ reluctance to use standard methods — may stimulate adverse health condition including cancer, effects on reproductive health and weak immune system.
Pregnant women regularly consume vegetables and fruits for getting proper nutrient, they as well as their unborn babies are most vulnerable to the exposure of pesticide residue. People of all ages are also consuming pesticide residue unknowingly in their daily food intake. Different studies across the world have already established the link between pesticide exposure of mothers and subsequent neurologic outcome on unborn babies and cognitive disorder in children.
A study of University Barkeley of California found that exposure to one type of pesticide (organophosphate) during pregnancy was linked to earlier delivery, an increase in abnormal reflexes in infants, poorer mental development at 24 months of age, and increased risk of developmental disorder.
Another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that children born to mothers who were exposed to different group of pesticides during pregnancy had an increased level of behavioral disorder like attention deficit and hyperactivity .
A child specialist at National Heart Institute said the effect of pesticide residues on human body can be compared to slow poisoning. It puts an adverse impact on human body over years. Initially, its impact starts with itching and later on, it can cause chronic dysentery for kids & kidney failure. Moreover its long-term effect can cause different types of cancer.
Dr. Gulam Rasul of Life and Health while presenting a research paper of American Pregnancy Association told that unborn babies are the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, especially when exposure takes place during the first trimester when the neural tube and nervous system are forming.
He said, “We cannot identify how many types of pesticides are applied to grow and protect these vegetables and fruits. We are consuming unknowingly the pesticides residue in our daily food which sometimes can be deadly for us.”
According to a recent study conducted by Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) the human health is at tremendous risk due to the random use of pesticides as residue of these insect killers remain in human body for a long time and cause harm for human. Of the 600 respondents of the study, about 98 percent farmers apply pesticide on their land resulting in widespread exposure of multiple health effects, including headaches, eye and skin irritation, vomiting and dizziness, said the study.
Of the total respondents, 61.51 percent are facing various diseases such as kidney ailments, diabetes, difficulties in hearing and skin problems.
Farmers’ who took part in the above research told that normally they do not use gloves, cover face while spraying insect killers and sometimes don’t even wash hands before having foods.
A survey conducted by the World Bank found that farmers in Bangladesh usually spray their crops bare-footed (only 1% even wearing sandals), only 2% wore gloves, 3% wore protective eye-glasses, and 6% wore home-made cotton masks.
Quoting World Health Organisation and United Nations Environment Programme, Dr. Shakti Ranjan Paul of Life and Health said, one to five million farm workers are estimated to suffer from pesticide poisoning every year and at least 20,000 die from different diseases caused by pesticide residue.
Dr Enamul Haque of Bangkok Hospital, Bangladesh Office said people can use Vinegar or salt water for 30-40 minutes to clean vegetable and fruits where the chance of removing pesticides is less than 50%.
He suggested using ‘Carbon Green’ as it can clean about 90-95% of pesticide residue in 10 minutes without reducing the nutrient value of foods.
Pregnant women should assign someone else to spray or apply the pesticides to minimize inhalation or contact with the skin, vacate the area as directed on the pesticide package, remove food, dishes, and utensils from the area before using a pesticide and wash the area where food is prepared following any application of pesticides, he added.