Farm chemicals ‘pose a threat to public health’

[webfact]

Farm chemicals ‘pose a threat to public health’

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION 

 

File photo

 

With decision due next week, academics call for ban on dangerous herbicides and pesticides.
 

ACADEMICS urged the government to prioritise the protection of people’s health from the threat of chemical contamination and ensure a healthy environment in keeping with the county’s pledge to pursue Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

The group of professors and researchers in the medical and environmental fields from Thailand’s leading universities pressed two major demands on the authorities in an academic seminar titled “Academic truths on the controlling of hazardous chemicals: paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos” at Chulalongkorn University yesterday.

 

The academics called on the relevant agencies to consider the banning of paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos in Thailand and reform the country’s agriculture in order to switch from chemical farming to more environmentally friendly organic farming.

 

Paraquat and glyphosate are widely used herbicides in Thailand, where chlorpyrifos is routinely used as a pesticide.

 

The deputy director of the Centre of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology, Jutamaad Satayavivad, stated that people in Thailand have been facing “silent threats” from the intensive use of chemicals in the agricultural sector, especially paraquat which has been identified as a very hazardous substance when coming into direct contact with the human body.

 

Jutamaad revealed that not only can these chemicals have acute effects on health – the mortality rate for consuming paraquat is as high as 46.18 per cent – they also trigger severe chronic symptoms in humans. Recent studies revealed that prolonged exposure to these chemicals could significantly increase the risk of lung cancer and breast cancer.

 

 

Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, head of the Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, also revealed that many studies found that people who worked closely with these chemicals for a long period of time had 70 per cent more chance of suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

 

Noppadon Kitana, head of the Biology Department at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, said that in addition to the health threats from direct exposure to these chemicals, the continuous intensive use of herbicides and pesticides also caused severe chemical contamination in the ecosystem. Many studies, including his own, found high residues of paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos in soil, water, vegetable, and aquatic animal samples.

 

“The findings of chemical contamination in food and the ecosystem prove that consumers are not safe from health threats caused by these chemicals, hence we would like to ask the government to solve this problem by banning these harmful substances once and for all,” Noppadon said.

 

“Moreover, the government has the duty to ensure a clean environment and healthy living conditions for all citizens, under our obligations to the international community to follow the SDGs.”

 

As the plan to ban these three commonly used farming chemicals has met with strong opposition from some groups of farmers, he suggested that the authorities and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector needed to move forward from chemical farming to organic farming. It has already been proved that chemical-free farming can guarantee similar or even higher yields than traditional ways of farming, he said.

 

Drug System Monitoring Mechanism Development Centre manager Dr Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee emphasised that when considering environmental and health policies, authorities must take a precautionary approach as an assurance that the environment and citizen’s well-being would be properly protected.

 

The academics’ request to the government has been made a week before the Hazardous Substance Committee will have to make a decision next Wednesday on whether the country should ban paraquat and chlorpyrifos and limit the use of glyphosate. “In this forum, we have provided much evidence of the dangers from these chemicals to the health, to the farmers, those who use the chemicals, their family members and even the consumers who eat unsafe food,” Niyada said.

 

“So, we only hope that the relevant agencies will consider our information, judge from the scientific facts, and ban these harmful chemicals in order to protect the people from avoidable dangers to their health and well-being.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30345563

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-17

[YetAnother]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Moreover, the government has the duty to ensure a clean environment and healthy living conditions for all citizens, under our obligations to the international community to follow the SDGs.”

nauseating to hear of thailand's 'obligations to the international community'; must be pretty fuzzy in his world; again thailand trips over it's nationalism, look at and assess civilized countries' studies on these chemicals and act accordingly: inept government

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Farm chemicals ‘pose a threat to public health’

This can not be true. 

I'm sure I read some educated people a few weeks back stating,  there is no danger using these type of chemicals on the farms. 

Was someone telling porkies 

 

[doremifasol]

Even vegetable oil tastes like petrol. 

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"The academics called on the relevant agencies to consider the banning of paraquat...."

But the doctors supported the manufacturers of these poisons by saying paraquat was not harmful and quite safe to use. So who the believe? Nice doctors who say nice things about deadly products?

If it is good enough for the government to come down hard on those who sponsor dubious cosmetics then the same should apply to doctors who help promote dangerous herbicides and pesticides. 

[Lungstib]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Many studies, including his own, found high residues of paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos in soil, water, vegetable, and aquatic animal samples.

In the Fang-Mae Ai-Thaton area there is thousands of rai of "orange' farms, a fruit that apparently needs chemical spray every few weeks. There is also mango, banana and lemon farms that get similar treatment. Farming supply stores have gallons of chemicals on show and the total amount is staggering. All this seeps into the soil, washes into streams and gets into the bigger rivers and finally meets the sea. I am not a scientist and have no idea just how long certain chemicals stay active once sprayed but it appears obvious to me that the whole ecosystem must be tainted with these residues and everything we eat is in one way or another affected. Yes, it worries me greatly.

[OmarZaid]

I'm seeing increasing incidence of cancers (young and old) and dementia among rural folks here i  N Thailand, It is truly amazing

[nobodysfriend]

Go Bio , otherwise you will be poisoned ...

[Lupatria]

44 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

But the doctors supported the manufacturers of these poisons by saying paraquat was not harmful and quite safe to use. So who the believe? Nice doctors who say nice things about deadly products?

It's more not so nice doctors, with degrees in "Convenience Philosophy" cashing in on 'doctored studies' and consulting contracts. Fill a pool with a fair amount of paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos mixed with water and do the test, whereas only those who dare to take a dip will keep their and licenses as long as they are with us.

With all the inaction regarding poisoned food, countless unregistered weapons, death toll in road accidents, and tons of meth and yaba on sale, I wonder if the government has a strategy to reduce the population.

[cooked]

 I have yet to see a farmer using adequate protection when spraying. Nor do they seem to be aware of the fact that instructions concerning dosage and precautions are written on the packaging. Not Thai bashing, the situation was just the same in Switzerland 30 years ago, I remember my request for a measuring cylinder and mask being met with consternation (as it might frighten off customers)

Having witnessed in my childhood a wheat field that became unharvestable due to bind weed, as well as years where entire fruit crops were lost due to pests and fungi, on the whole I support the use of pesticides and herbicides. A study has shown that forbidding the use of Glyphosat would increase the price of some food by 25%. Maybe iot would be nice to have a balanced view of things; in Thailand many crops would disappear without the use of chemicals, which is why I neither eat nor cultivate melons.

I personally don't believe that there is anything that can really be called "BIO" in Thailand. apart from what small producers like myself can afford to cultivate as a hobby, taking the risk of losing crops. AND not getting a suitable price.

 

[Khun Paul]

The real question is , Does the Government care enough to actually not only say but to enforce what it says ?

Taking Road accidents and other problems like sewage and water management as a guideline the answer has to be a DEFINITE NO !

[uffe123]

dont worry, take a trip on the Submarine or bullet trains when they are available. 

You think all the rich and government officials are eating the vegetable/food contaminated?

I'am surprised they are not spraying DDT. My cousin 53 years old, a farmer just died from pesticide poisoning, but he was just a Vassal, so no big deal.

[robertthesculptor]

Yes please, listen to them. Too much danger to the nation and other people!

Listen to reasionable scientific truth!

[kickstart]

22 minutes ago, cooked said:

 I have yet to see a farmer using adequate protection when spraying. Nor do they seem to be aware of the fact that instructions concerning dosage and precautions are written on the packaging. Not Thai bashing, the situation was just the same in Switzerland 30 years ago, I remember my request for a measuring cylinder and mask being met with consternation (as it might frighten off customers)

Having witnessed in my childhood a wheat field that became unharvestable due to bind weed, as well as years where entire fruit crops were lost due to pests and fungi, on the whole I support the use of pesticides and herbicides. A study has shown that forbidding the use of Glyphosat would increase the price of some food by 25%. Maybe iot would be nice to have a balanced view of things; in Thailand many crops would disappear without the use of chemicals, which is why I neither eat nor cultivate melons.

I personally don't believe that there is anything that can really be called "BIO" in Thailand. apart from what small producers like myself can afford to cultivate as a hobby, taking the risk of losing crops. AND not getting a suitable price.

 

Not only using adequate protection ,but applying the chemicals,whatever they are, in the right conditions, in our country's if a strong breeze/wind is blowing no spraying is done , over here, itis  Mie- Pen -Rie, never mind, they still spray, needless to say the spray goes not only on the field but all over the place .

 

 

And how many times I have seen farmers spraying when rain is very imminent, the chemicals will get washed away, too where, before they can do any good, like a lot of things, education is the key.                                                                    I must agree ,they is nothing Bio that will do the job ,and if we found our food prices going up 50% because  of chemical being banned, they would soon be major unrest ,this world/planet of ours is just not sustainable  to many people living on it, afraid to say agriculture chemicals are part of our life's ,farmers must learn to use them right. 

[bluesofa]

Just now, webfact said:

“Moreover, the government has the duty to ensure a clean environment and healthy living conditions for all citizens, under our obligations to the international community to follow the SDGs.”

This was Noppadon Kitana, head of the Biology Department at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, quoted above. Yes, I agree with what he said, but Noppadon has nothing to do with the government or what it does.

 

Even if I heard the above words spoken by anyone in the current "government", I wouldn't believe a word of it.

It would be pure lip-service, they have absolutely no intention of fulfilling any obligations to anyone - Thai or internationally.

The only obligations they have is fulfilling their own interests - financial and political.

[connda]

Governments will bend to the will of corporate interests.  The academics who have a moral compass and are not paid off by the same interests act as a counter-balance to the Ag chemical industry which is more than willing to destroy the environment and the health of consumers in the name of profits.. 
Good for these academics speaking out! 

[connda]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

There is also mango, banana and lemon farms that get similar treatment.

Interesting, in that we grow these fruits on our land and are able to do so without chemical treatments.  It's nice to walk outback and pick fresh, unadulterated fruit off your own trees.

[ba ba]

Bang Post ran this same story and in it was said that 53 country have already banned these chemical's ,so why is thailand trying to do all these study just ban it you are not that smart

[cooked]

29 minutes ago, ba ba said:

Bang Post ran this same story and in it was said that 53 country have already banned these chemical's ,so why is thailand trying to do all these study just ban it you are not that smart

You don't get it, do you? 

Thailand is a tropical country and thus likely to be more reliant on chemicals than countries that can rely on a good hard winter to eliminate most pests annually.

What is needed is a benefit/cost study: take a "suppose if" idea: forbidding chemicals results in some food getting much more expensive, so they would be buying healthy food(rice and potatoes) but probably couldn't afford most fruit and veg. otherwise. This is why poor people in the UK don't buy Bio, they go for the cheapest going. So they die younger, obesity and all the rest. 

[hotchilli]

Firstly you have to educate the farmers about health issues in the chemicals they freely use now...

then you have to get them to use an alternative....

Good luck with that one.... no change soon!!!!

[sawadee1947]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

So, we only hope that the relevant agencies will consider our information

you think you can teach an old dog?????

[quandow]

Just have Monsanto come in and fix it up. ALL their chemicals have been proven by their scientists to be perfectly safe. Even their carcinogenic chemicals are FRIENDLY carcinogens.

[Lucky mike]

Problem with common sense is that it is not common !  Greed 6 people's welfare nil.....

[lvr181]

Who would have known?  (sarcasm)

 

Some people are really quick on their feet (not). 

 

But can they convince the "government" to do something about it? I doubt if any changes for the good will happen anytime soon. Just more lip service (as mentioned by other posters) - standard Government response to problems and betterment will follow.

 

All BS!!

[twix38]

H0PELESS!!!!

 

Slowly poisoning yourself to death over years with a cancer or other illness that cannot be directly attributed to this whole big, wide and long running issue, but in many cases IS the trigger/cause.

 

I am back in UK and safe from being slowly poisoned to death!!

[attrayant]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Jutamaad revealed that not only can these chemicals have acute effects on health – the mortality rate for consuming paraquat is as high as 46.18 per cent – they also trigger severe chronic symptoms in humans. Recent studies revealed that prolonged exposure to these chemicals could significantly increase the risk of lung cancer and breast cancer.

 

I hate that they have grouped in highly toxic pesticides with a comparatively benign one (glyphosate), and then apply broad adjectives like "poison" and "toxic" to the entire group.  They also made a serious error by mentioning acute toxicity, which has already been well established.  Glyphosate is less acutely toxic than table salt, caffeine, hydrogen peroxide, aspirin and vitamin D3.

 

 

Bottom line is, they can ban synthetic pesticides and go back to the pesticides of yore, like lead arsenate and organophosphates that were true poisons, or they can forego pesticides all together and lose half their crop to pests. Or they can educate their farmers about proper integrated pest management techniques that developed countries are using with good success.

 

My prediction is that they'll do nothing.

 

 

[wisdomwizard]

14 hours ago, OmarZaid said:

I'm seeing increasing incidence of cancers (young and old) and dementia among rural folks here i  N Thailand, It is truly amazing

OMG! The amount of people now with dementia and Alzheimer in Isaan where they  spray the glyphosate is staggering. If they surveyed these areas and correlated the chemical spraying and these ailments, along with cancers, and combined it with the western scientific evidence it should be a slam dunk to ban these chemicals (unless Monsanto has it's way). Even the neurologist in the Buriram Hospital said the numbers she sees now are really high. We are dealing with an in-law who sprayed his rice fields and he is deteriorating incredibly fast.

BTW the residue is in the rice! YIKES!

[sammieuk1]

That vaping malarkey must be very deadly to be banned already keep calm and carry on ingesting parquet.  

[wisdomwizard]

55 minutes ago, attrayant said:

They also made a serious error by mentioning acute toxicity, which has already been well established.  Glyphosate is less acutely toxic than table salt, caffeine, hydrogen peroxide, aspirin and vitamin D3.

Not sure where you got the chart from or who produced it but do some current research on Glyphosate and you will see this is one of the biggest health scourges in US right now. Of course Monsanto says the same thing regarding it as the tobacco companies did about the effects of tobacco!!

[attrayant]

Not sure where you got the chart from or who produced it

It’s simple toxicity data which is generated by many governments and labs all over the world. This is an aggregate result of the consensus.

Do some current research on Glyphosate and you will see this is one of the biggest health scourges in US right now.

I’m not a scientists and so I don’t conduct my own firsthand research, but I do follow the research of bona fide scientists and researchers, and there is a pretty clear, broad global consensus on the safety of glyphosate.