|
Thursday, December 04, 2003
FPA defends 'toxic' herbicide
By Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO -- Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority (FPA) 11 chief said Wednesday that paraquat, a chemical used in banana and pineapple plantations, is described to be the most highly toxic herbicide, but it is still being allowed for use provided the application is appropriate.
Ilominada Salting, director of FPA 11, said paraquat dichloride was found among the chemicals used by banana plantations in the city.
The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) earlier submitted a list of pesticides approved by the FPA for use in banana production to City Councilor Beethoven Orcullo in relation to the ongoing controversy over the threat on the city's watersheds.
Orcullo said the list was furnished to the FPA for evaluation. However, Salting said she has yet to receive a copy.
Salting said the registration of paraquat in Malaysia is yet to expire on 2005, which means the herbicide is still being sold. Paraquat's registration was checked following reports that it has been banned in Malaysia.
The herbicide is registered in the Philippines and there is no immediate move to take it out of the market. On the other hand, while paraquat is indeed still on sale, the ban has already been set in place and will be implemented by 2005.
Salting bared three factors of banning a chemical. She said a chemical would be banned from usage if it is very toxic to man, it affects the environment and there is an alternative for the same chemical.
Paraquat has been determined to be very toxic to man and also poses significant threats to the environment. There are also a good number of other herbicides that are not as controversial and not as toxic.
Salting said there are at least 120 countries still using paraquat. She said the countries mentioned to have banned paraquat are not agricultural countries so the herbicide has no use to them. She added that many agricultural countries, still widely use paraquat.
Salting said application of paraquat must only be done by certified pesticides applicator (CPA).
"The applicator should be trained because they will be the ones to monitor the application of pesticides," Salting said.
She added the FPA is strictly monitoring the CPAs to check whether or not they are really using the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the management of the plantation.
Salting said the problem with some applicators is they do not wear the proper gear in applying the herbicide. If they are caught by the FPA during surprise inspections for failure to wear the protective gear, they will be suspended, Salting said.
She said the FPA does not discount the positions raised by several environmentalists against plantations using pesticides, but they should have sufficient data to support their claims.
Salting said that of the scooping that the FPA conducted on the water in areas believed to be at risk of pesticide contamination, there was no presence of pesticide residue found.
Environmentalists against paraquat precisely want the herbicide banned because it is obviously being marketed in developing countries where strict use of protective gears are strictly imposed and monitored.
In the region's plantations alone, workers can be seen only clad in long-sleeved cotton shirts already stained and frayed.
The most common reason why protective gears including masks are not used: "It's very hot and uncomfortable to wear".
Environmentalists earlier raised fears over banana plantations' indiscriminate use of pesticides that seep into the aquifer and threaten the city's potable water supply.
Although listed as moderately hazardous (Class II) by the World Health Organization (WHO), as little as a teaspoon of concentrated Paraquat can kill a person through respiratory failure occurring within a period of few days or a month after ingestion. There is no antidote.
Lesser amounts has been known to damage the lungs, heart, kidneys, adrenal glands, central nervous system, liver, muscles and spleen and can cause multi-organ failure.
The use of Paraquat can also cause severe acute and long-term health problems, like, severe dermatitis, second-degree burns, nosebleeds, rapid heart rate, kidney failure and respiratory failure.
Some chronic effects have been identified: an association with developmental and reproductive effects, as well as links to skin cancer. There is mounting evidence linking it to Parkinson's disease.
(December 4, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
 |
| click
to comment on this article or discuss it with other readers |
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
FPJ beats Arroyo in nationwide poll