The scourge of arsenic contamination
Shafiq Ahmed | Wednesday, 27 August 2008
The arsenic contamination is again drawing media attention after studies came up with new findings. The Journal of the American Medical Association, quoting a report, stated that high levels of arsenic in urine could increase the risk of incidence of type 2 diabetes. It means that arsenic would cause diabetes.
Earlier, an international symposium held in Dhaka discussed a research finding of a Bangladeshi professor of a Japanese university, Dr Kingshuk Roy, which found a higher level of arsenic in some of the homestead vegetables than in other crops. His research showed that rural people take more arum, pui shak etc., grown at kitchen gardens, particularly when natural disasters damage their main staple food.
So, arsenic contamination in such crops may become an extra cause for diabetes for the rural poor. These people already face the trouble because of inorganic arsenic contaminated ground water.
Other experts and researchers at the symposium alerted all concerned not to ignore probable consequences of the arsenic contamination as they had done when the problem was first detected in the middle of the seventies to control the situation.
Indeed, it is necessary to conduct more research in the area. Problems like arsenic contamination, and climate change, deserve greater attention. The experts point out that individuals exposed to arsenic contamination can develop cancer.
Earlier, an international symposium held in Dhaka discussed a research finding of a Bangladeshi professor of a Japanese university, Dr Kingshuk Roy, which found a higher level of arsenic in some of the homestead vegetables than in other crops. His research showed that rural people take more arum, pui shak etc., grown at kitchen gardens, particularly when natural disasters damage their main staple food.
So, arsenic contamination in such crops may become an extra cause for diabetes for the rural poor. These people already face the trouble because of inorganic arsenic contaminated ground water.
Other experts and researchers at the symposium alerted all concerned not to ignore probable consequences of the arsenic contamination as they had done when the problem was first detected in the middle of the seventies to control the situation.
Indeed, it is necessary to conduct more research in the area. Problems like arsenic contamination, and climate change, deserve greater attention. The experts point out that individuals exposed to arsenic contamination can develop cancer.