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Friday, April 23, 2004
Bt corn toxin eyed in farmers' sickness
By Bong S. Sarmiento
KORONADAL CITY -- The diocesan Social Action Center (SAC) here has raised fears that the controversial Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn could be again the cause of the illnesses that hit at least a dozen residents in a farming community here.
Gloria Sabit, a SAC senior advocacy officer in the Diocese of Marbel, said Wednesday that several residents of Barangay Rotonda here have "experienced some of the symptoms felt last year by the people in Kalyong."
The Kalyong incident she was referring was in Barangay Landan in nearby Polomolok town and home to 38 individuals that were confirmed early this year by a Norwegian scientist, Dr. Terje Traavik, to have been exposed to Bt toxin.
"We visited the area several days ago and talked with the residents who experienced running nose, fever and involuntary bowel (pagtatae)," she said in a phone interview.
The residents, who lived around a 3.5 hectare Bt cornfield, also felt dizzy, she added.
Last year, the local Catholic Church spearheaded a medical mission in Kalyong after some 100 residents complained of headache, vomiting, dizziness and allergies.
Many of them believed the symptoms were caused by the pollination of the Bt corn then.
Sabit said the "symptoms hit residents in Rotonda two weeks ago while the Bt corn was also in the pollination stage."
According to Sabit, while residents did not pointedly refer to the Bt corn as the cause of their illnesses, the SAC is worried that the transgenic plant may be the reason as what the Rotonda residents experienced was "something similar" to those felt earlier by residents of Sitio Kalyong.
Sabit said they tried but failed to bring the matter to the attention of Rotonda barangay chief Edwin Maluto.
"No village official was around at the barangay hall during the time we went there," she said.
Maluto was also not around Thursday when reached for comment about the claims of SAC.
Sabit said they are recommending that village officials immediately subject the residents who have fallen ill to a health check up to know the reason for their ailment.
In March 4, Traavik revealed in a press conference in General Santos City that Bt toxic traces were found on the blood samples of 38 B'laan natives living near a Bt cornfield in sitio Kalyong.
"My research showed that footprints of Bt toxin were found on the blood samples [of those people living near the Bt corn field]," said Traavik, scientific director of the Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology.
However, he quickly added that it is difficult to conclude whether the traces of Bt toxin found on the blood samples were a result of the individuals' exposure to the Bt cornfield, as further studies will be needed to verify this claim.
In an earlier report, Monsanto officials brushed aside the findings of Traavik and assured that their Bt corn product has no ill effects to humans and the environment.
"We really don't know how they were able to determine such findings. I think it's a biased result considering that they came from those opposing our product," said Francisco Camacho, Monsanto technology development executive.
He said the credibility of findings should be substantiated especially the process by which the blood samples were taken.
"We have to make sure that the samples were taken properly and that the process of the analysis was based on accepted scientific standards," he said.
Traavik also drew flak from the scientific community days after for releasing his finding without passing through peer review.
A paper then given to reporters containing Traavik's interpretation of the test said: "Specific serum IgG antibodies show that individual has been exposed to antigen, i.e. Bt toxin, during its lifetime." Moreover, it said that specific IgA and IgM antibodies show that the individual has been exposed to the antigen, i.e. Bt toxin, during the last few months.
Antibodies, Traavik explained, tell that humans have been exposed to Bt toxin.
Felix Cordero, of the Sinag Multi Purpose Cooperative, refused to believe that Bt corn can cause ill effects to human health and the environment.
"I personally ate last year boiled Bt corn planted in my farm but I did not feel any ill effects," Cordero said.
(April 23, 2004 issue)
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