Thursday, October 02, 2008
Health department: All chemicals are harmful to man
By Carlo P. Mallo
THE use of chemicals per se is not safe for human health, thus these should be handled and administered properly, said the chief of the Department of Health (DOH) in Southern Mindanao.
"If not used properly, chemicals will have an adverse effect on the human health," Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, DOH-Southern Mindanao chief, said in an interview Tuesday.
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To stress her point, Rosell-Ubial likened pesticides to aspirin, saying: "Just like pesticides, an aspirin, which is commonly taken by humans, can also cause severe effects on the human body, or worst, even death."
Chemicals are used both in pesticides and drugs, and in other products that are being used in the daily lives of the people. More commonly used in the agricultural sector as pesticides, chemicals are sprayed or injected upon plants in order to protect them from pests that might damage hectares upon hectares of plants threatening the stability of food production, either locally or internationally.
"There is a need to strike a balance on the usage of chemicals, in pesticides for example, it must be regulated so as to maximize its advantage and minimize its disadvantages," Rosell-Ubial said.
"All chemicals are harmful, but with proper usage we use it to our benefit," she said.
The controversy over the use of chemicals, especially by the agricultural sector, took center stage anew after an environmental group released a study showing that pesticides’ presence has been detected within bodies of water in two of Davao City’s premier watersheds.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (October 2, 2008 issue)
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