Pesticides may also kill ignorant farmers
A farmer uses a transparent mask developed by Bogra Rural Development Academy to avert harmful effects of toxic pesticides.Photo: STAR
Farmers and workers spraying pesticides in crop fields are highly vulnerable to various diseases as the job, often done without any safety measures, make them absorb the toxic item in different ways including inhalation. The amount of pesticide received by a person varies from 0.15 to 0.25 gram (weighed in powder form) per hour, depending on weather at the time of spraying it in a crop field. The information came to light as Rural Development Academy (RDA) in Bogra conducted a five-year research programme in Amrul union under Shahjahanpur upazila of Bogra district in cooperation with CABI Bioscience UK. Published about two months ago, the research report says that all the farmers under observation lacked knowledge on technical matters and safety measures about pesticide spraying. Farmers involved in pesticide spraying do not understand the health hazard during spray and afterwards, the report says, adding that many farmers often blow from the mouth into the spraying pipe to make it clear. "Farmers are advised to apply a kind of 'massage oil' on the whole body to prevent liquid pesticide to harm the skin. They should also wear adequate dress at the time of spraying. As farmers generally wear short dresses, liquid pesticides affect the body directly and cause problems like uneasy feeling, vomiting and even fainting," said agriculturist AKM Zakaria, joint director of Bogra RDA and coordinator of the research programme. RDA scientists also invented a transparent mask to prevent pesticide inhaling by sprayers. "Earlier I felt uneasy after spraying liquid pesticide as I did not have knowledge for spraying it safely and did not know the use of newly invented mask. Several farmers including Hamidul Haque and Jahangir Alam of the same village fainted too. Now use of the transparent mask helps us,” said Md Noor-ul-Islam, 53, of Gopalbari village in Bogra Sadar upazila. Heart and kidney trouble may occur along with other problems if one continues receiving liquid pesticide, Dr AH Sadik, former professor of medicine at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogra, said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments