Study: Traces of hazardous pesticides found in urine, dust samples in barangay near plantation
TRACES of highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) were found in urine and dust samples collected from households in Barangay Tawan-Tawan in Davao City, based on a study conducted in 2022.
The study, done by the Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH) in South Korea and Davao-based Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis), detected the top three pesticides – pyrethroid, parathion, and chlorpyrifos.
Parathion pesticide was banned in the Philippines in 1993 by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for its high toxicity while pyrethroid and chlorpyrifos are listed as HHP by the Pesticide Action Network.
According to the study presented last February 20, 83 samples of urine and 30 samples of household dust were taken from communities that are located within the vicinity of an eight-hectare pineapple plantation in Barangay Tawan-Tawan.
More specifically, the samples were from households grouped as directly adjacent or within 30-meter radius of the plantation, nearby or within 500 meters, and far or more than one-kilometer radius.
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum, director for research of WIOEH Dr. Won Kim said the source of the detected pesticides might have come from indoor environment contamination or consumption of contaminated food.
“We collected house dust to measure the indoor environment contamination by the pesticide which could be drifted by the wind from the field where the pesticide was sprayed (and) we collected the human urine,” Kim said.
Pyrethroid, parathion, and chlorpyrifos were part of the 22 pesticides listed as banned or not approved in the European Union but were detected in the collected samples during the study. Of the 22, 17 pesticides were HHPs and the prohibited parathion was detected in both urine and dust samples.
“There are still issues of illegal transport or illegal trade, like coming from Indonesia and Malaysia, na dili makita sa Customs (that were not caught by the Customs). That’s why naa mga pesticides that are banned but still ma-detect gihapon nato siya (That’s why there are still banned pesticides that we can detect),” Idis program coordinator Lemuel Manalo said.
Manalo said the volume of pesticides detected varies from how near or far the household is to the plantations. The study showed that samples from nearer communities had more traces of pesticides compared to those in farther communities thus people living in these areas are at risk of ill effects related to the HHPs.
For instance, Kim said chlorpyrifos can cause headaches, stomach pain, and diarrhea while long-term exposure can lead to Parkinson's Disease. It also has severe effects on children since chlorpyrifos can hamper intellectual capacity and lower IQ.
Manalo also said they recorded individuals that had skin irritations and infections but they have yet to conduct another study to know whether it is linked to pesticide exposure.
Furthermore, the plantation and communities are near the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, a conservation area and Davao City’s next source of drinking water. Manalo said that in a 2014 study, similar pesticides were detected in the air and water samples collected from the watershed.
Although aerial spraying in Environmental Critical Areas in Davao City is prohibited by the Local Watershed Code of 2007, ground and boom spraying of pesticides is allowed.
Manalo said controlling the chemical drift from residential and agricultural settlements is difficult since the plantations have insufficient buffer zones.
A buffer zone refers to an area or strip of vegetated land surrounding a developed area or body of water that acts as a filter for sediments and chemicals in order to minimize environmental impact.
“The houses are just a few meters away from the crops. According to our environmental measures and even our policies, plantations should have enough buffer zones. But pag-abot sa actual, weak ang mga buffer zones (But in actuality, the buffer zones are weak). Isa na sa mga reasons na exposed atong mga communities (That’s one of the reason our communities are exposed),” Manalo said.
As per Idis, some of the interventions that can be done are to intensify buffer zone requirements, implement low-risk spraying methods, use alternative chemical or organic solutions, and strengthen the Organic Agriculture Ordinance of Davao City.
“(Idis with) the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Aerial Spray (MAAS), Metsa Foundation, Masipag, and MASIA drafted a proposed ordinance to regulate the pesticide drift activities of plantations in all methods,” the group said in a statement.
Aside from the Philippines, the WIOEH also studied and took samples from Vietnam and Malaysia. Overall, 687 samples were collected.
From the samples, 125 pesticides were detected and of these, 66 were HHPs.
“Our advocacy still continues to fight for their rights for clean air and livability of these places because our farmers deserve to have rights for clean air. They are affected by the risk and hazards coming from chemicals and toxins released by these agricultural plantations,” Manalo said. (ICM)