Now it's lead in vegetables
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
The Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) let it be known recently that it had detected the presence of lead in five of Bangladesh's most loved vegetables, namely potatoes, red spinach, cabbages, radishes and beans. Samples of these farm produce have reportedly been collected from 64 districts and the toxic pollutant, identified in its own laboratory, was found to be ranging from the very high (136.28 micro gram per kilogram in potatoes from Madaripur) to the 'low' (1.49 mg/kg in Thakurgaon beans), according to the chairman of BCSIR, a soil scientist. The lead is being absorbed from the soil just like arsenic, another baneful contaminant that has been seeping into drinking water sources as well as tainting vegetables, a fact that had been dubbed by the international press long ago as one of the worst cases of 'mass poisoning' the world has seen in recent decades.
The BSCSIR chief faulted not only motor exhaust from highways but also the widespread use of spurious fertilizers from various sources that have been contaminated by toxic battery waste, and said there was no option but to remove the lead from the soil before cultivating anything in it. Several years ago tons of doubly poisonous incinerator ash was imported as fertilizer, and portions of it sold to farmers and used, before activists discovered the felony. It is not known whether the current lead in the soil can be traced to this criminal commerce. According to WHO, more than 25 mg of lead per deciliter of blood is hazardous to human health. However, the US Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency and Public Health Institute, all put the level much lower, claiming that a count above 10 mg can be dangerous and can usher in long-term disabilities. Whatever the count, there is no doubt Bangladesh's soil, air and water are loaded with contaminants that compound the health and well-being of the population.
One of the most studied neurotoxins, lead is said to make 'the mind give way.' Even small doses slow down a child's development and this has been well documented in the case of school children who have been chewing on lead pencils. Damage from regular exposure is usually irreversible, leading to nervous system damage, greater hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour, aggression and shorter attention spans. It may also impair fertility, cause menstrual disorders, anemia, high blood pressure and kidney problems. The list is long enough and the implications alarming enough to make decisions makers act immediately.
Lead is a major pollutant in Dhaka's air. Its health hazards have been known for centuries, which is why earlier presses used to pay mandatory 'milk allowance' to men employed in boiling lead to cast typefaces. Milk was said to 'undo' some of the harm from lead poisoning, in other words, good nutrition is necessary to ward off the worst effects of lead and arsenic overdose. Decision-makers in this country have not been as serious as necessary in this regard. It is evident from the fact that nutrition-education or intervention is not noticeable in arsenic-prone areas and most of the water supplies in the cities still flow through lead or asbestos pipes despite the knowledge that both are extremely harmful. High time these were replaced and awareness was raised about the need to clean up agricultural land and water resources.
The BSCSIR chief faulted not only motor exhaust from highways but also the widespread use of spurious fertilizers from various sources that have been contaminated by toxic battery waste, and said there was no option but to remove the lead from the soil before cultivating anything in it. Several years ago tons of doubly poisonous incinerator ash was imported as fertilizer, and portions of it sold to farmers and used, before activists discovered the felony. It is not known whether the current lead in the soil can be traced to this criminal commerce. According to WHO, more than 25 mg of lead per deciliter of blood is hazardous to human health. However, the US Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency and Public Health Institute, all put the level much lower, claiming that a count above 10 mg can be dangerous and can usher in long-term disabilities. Whatever the count, there is no doubt Bangladesh's soil, air and water are loaded with contaminants that compound the health and well-being of the population.
One of the most studied neurotoxins, lead is said to make 'the mind give way.' Even small doses slow down a child's development and this has been well documented in the case of school children who have been chewing on lead pencils. Damage from regular exposure is usually irreversible, leading to nervous system damage, greater hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour, aggression and shorter attention spans. It may also impair fertility, cause menstrual disorders, anemia, high blood pressure and kidney problems. The list is long enough and the implications alarming enough to make decisions makers act immediately.
Lead is a major pollutant in Dhaka's air. Its health hazards have been known for centuries, which is why earlier presses used to pay mandatory 'milk allowance' to men employed in boiling lead to cast typefaces. Milk was said to 'undo' some of the harm from lead poisoning, in other words, good nutrition is necessary to ward off the worst effects of lead and arsenic overdose. Decision-makers in this country have not been as serious as necessary in this regard. It is evident from the fact that nutrition-education or intervention is not noticeable in arsenic-prone areas and most of the water supplies in the cities still flow through lead or asbestos pipes despite the knowledge that both are extremely harmful. High time these were replaced and awareness was raised about the need to clean up agricultural land and water resources.