Thailand: Pregnant Women Most At Risk Near Map Ta Phut Estate

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Pregnant women most at risk in areas near Map Ta Phut estate

By JANJIRA PONGRAI

The Nation

Published on June 2, 2010

RAYONG: -- Toxins from Rayong's Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate could cause about 16 per cent of pregnant women living within less than four kilometres of the estate to give premature birth, a report revealed yesterday.

The abnormal pregnancies could also have long-term health impacts on babies, especially their nervous systems, the report said.

A four-party panel for implementation of the Constitution 2007's article 67 second paragraph is scheduled to visit Map Ta Phut from June 5-7.

Nanthawan Vichitvadakarn, from the Thammasat University's Faculty of Public Health Science, released results of this first major epidemiological research linking people's home proximity to the industrial state and their health problems.

The study, sponsored by the Thailand Research Fund, was conducted from 2006 to 2009 on 24,890 children and adults living within 10km of the estate. It was found that those with homes near the estate had more health risks than those further away.

Pregnant woman living near the estate, especially down wind, had more risk of giving premature birth to infants of substandard weight than those not so close to the estate, the research found.

"The research found 229 women with pregnancy abnormalities who were at risk of giving premature birth according to their distance from the estate. Those living less than four kilometres from the estate had a 15.98 per cent risk, while those living in 4-7km radius had 1.04 per cent," she said.

The research also assessed people's respiratory systems by using American Thoracic Society standard questionnaires, surveyed nervous system problems by questionnaire and studied 6,800 children under 13 for long term health impacts - especially to the nervous system from pregnancy abnormality, she added.

The study also found that residents affected mostly by foul pollution smells and eye irritation suffered in relation to their living the distance from the estate, she added.

As for the impact from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that smell highly of styrene, the study found they might have an effect on people's central nervous systems.

This research could be used to give useful epidemiological information for the more accurate and precise health impact assessment, the "buffer zone" setting or the implementation of special measures to protect pregnant women, she said.

The research also suggested there should be studies on other areas in Rayong where some 297 factories release VOCs.

The four-party committee for implementation of the Constitution 2007's article 67 second paragraph will visit Map Ta Phut late this week to discuss with public and private sectors and villager representatives and brief them about what had been done so far, committee member Hannarong Yaowalert said yesterday.

-- The Nation 2010-06-02

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[PhootThaiMaiDai]

Glad to see this kind of representation of modern oversight in Thai. But does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

Does the government really do anything, or do they leave it to the villagers to pull their baht together and David and Goliath their way to something like a settlement, while they take their cut?

The fact that this has been up and there isn't one other comment - given the "laws" of standard distribution - and interest - not too encouraging.

"Section 67. The right of a person to give to the State and communities participation in the conservation, preservation and exploitation of natural resources and biological diversities and in the protection, promotion and preservation of the quality of the environment for regular and continued livelihood in the environment which is not hazardous to his or her health and sanitary condition, welfare or quality of life, shall be protected as appropriate.

Any project or activity which may seriously affect the community with respect to the quality of the environment, natural resources and health shall not be permitted, unless, prior to the operation thereof, its impacts on the quality of the environment and on public health have been studied and assessed and a public hearing process has been conducted for consulting the public as well as interested persons and there have been obtained opinions of an independent organisation, consisting of representatives from private organisations in the field of the environment and health and from higher education institutions providing studies in the field of the environment, natural resources or health.

The right of a community to bring a lawsuit against a Government agency, a State agency, a State enterprise, a local government organisation or other State authority which is a juristic person for the performance of duties under this provision shall be protected."