Sri Lanka kidney Disease Blamed on farm chemicals
By Rhitu
Chatterjee
September 18th,
2012
There are thousands of people who reside in the North
central province of Sri Lanka that are suffering with chronic Kidney
disease. About 15% of the population was
effect most of them being rice farmers. The
disease first came into play about 20 years ago in a hospital located in
Anuradhapura the capital of Province.
Doctors began putting two and two together and realized that too many
were dying from kidney Failure. None of
which suffered from diabetes or high blood pressure, the diseases that would
typically lead to severe kidney failure.
The doctors during this time also realized that this kidney problem was
not happening to people in the rest of the country. To separate this particular illness from the normal
kidney failure, the Sri Lankan government gave it the name Chronic Kidney
disease. Meaning unknown and CKDu for short,
Dr Dassanayake one the Kidney doctors says that there is still no
specific treatment for the chronic kidney disease.
About four years ago with help from the World Health
organization and the Sri Lanka government an investigation on this matter was put
into place. Peoples blood, urine and
food specimens were tested in the area, in addition to the areas local food and
water. The results indicated that there
were two toxic metals Cadmium and arsenic that were in the food and the air, although
the levels were within reasonable range.
Mahipala an official with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health says that
continued exposure to these chemicals at those levels can be very harmful. Arsenic is the active ingredient in some
pesticides and Cadmium is found in some fertilizers. These specific findings have not be published
but according to the (WHO) World Health Organization, they will be published in
the coming months once the minor details are finalized. Many scientists believe that more research
needs to be done and that those specific chemicals are not to blame for CKDu. Even after hearing the results rice farmers
are still reluctant to listen. They say
that they will still use the same fertilizers on their crops and continue with
their same manner of farming. The failure
to publicize the true nature of these chemicals and the effect they are having
on the farmers is making many doctors really unhappy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19628295
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