http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/81/11/roberts1103.pdf

It seems that this problem has been known for a considerable period of time but no action taken to effectively control it. Now it has become a patriotic issue and people are aske to keep quiet. It is those poor people who have to suffer.

The debate of arsenic poisoning has become a focal point today in Sri Lanka. A group of scientists claims that the cause for kidney decease in North – Western province is arsenic. They say that arsenic contamination is done though the imported pesticides, weedicides and artificial fertilizers used in agriculture.
It seems that there are two groups of scientists who do not accept the above view. One group of scientists directly rejects the claim. Another group says that they have no scientific evidence to accept the view. They also cast doubt on the methodologies used by the first group of scientists, and seem to look at them in a sarcastic air. However, it seems that the rejection of the first view and sarcasm alone are not sufficient to justify their view either. They accept that there were some arsenic positive samples among those tested by them. They also accept that arsenic is not legally permissible in pesticides and weedeicides, imported to Sri lanka however, they argue that the amounts available in those pesticides, weedicides and chemical fertilizer are not sufficient to be hazardous. However, they were not able to provide an alternative reason for the chronicle kidney decease fast spreading in many parts of the country. Further, it seems that these scientists have not the considered the possibility of bio accumulation of arsenic in flora and fauna, that could pass the permissible percentages they refer as safe.
However, the scientists are still clinging into a debate without coming to a distinct conclusion for this vitally important issue. The answer for the issue is totally a scientific one that should be obtained through chemical analysis. There is no any other effective alternative method to arrive at a distinct answer. However, it is very strange how not only political authorities, individuals but also scientists are trying to reiterate their view points through non scientific methods. Most seem to prefer alternatives than scientific methods. Otherwise there is no role to play by politicians or journalists in this question. This highly scientific issue should have been confined to the scientists and scientists alone, and only their consensus solution should have reached the laymen and general masses. However, it did not happen, letting every Toms and Harrys to catch fish in the muddy water making them all experts in this highly scientific and technical issue that should have been solely handled by the real experts of the field. Now the political authorities debunk the claims of scientists and journalists challenge the scientists on highly scientific issues.
Dragging on and uncertainty on this very sensitive issue has a huge socio-economic, hygienic and psychological impacts that it needs an urgent and speedy solution. There is a fear among people that the soil, water and food produced in those areas are contaminated with arsenic. They don’t know the reason for the mysterious ailment they have to undergo. The first group of scientists attributes these things to the presence of arsenic in fertilizer, pesticides and weedicides. They have given some irrefutable evidence through sample analysis that arsenic is present in some of the samples, in an environment that should legally be zero, due to the highly hazardous nature of the substance. What ever the sources of evidence, whether it is “Nath Deyyo” or whatever it is they were able to provide scientific evidence for their case, (though it may be not sufficient) to substantiate and justify their hypothesis. They have reasonably established sufficient reasons to for a scientific investigation. At this stage it should not be the sarcasm or just arguments that should be used for hypothetic testing. It is nothing but scientific investigations based on chemical analysis. The final result might be against the first group, but the scientific methodology is so, there is no any other alternative method except going for chemical analysis. No any other method would refute their proposition.

Thanks!

Why blame the Jewish Christians only when a lot of Pesticides are coming from East Asia. What about the shipments in question?

you choose to come out once again from a place different from

your own basic goodness –

My own kidneys are also supposed to be failing.

But thank God I have my priorities listed correctly.

I am more concerned about the 3 poisons within

Greed – Hatred – Delusion

and the emotions that tie us hand and foot to this cycle

Just look again and see how the internal poisons affect even the dialogue here…..

Are these pesticides and fertilisers used only in Anuradhapura and not elsewhere in Sri Lanka or the world?

If Arsenic is the culprit could it be at all similar to the situtation Bangladesh has found itself in where deep tube wells have been dug into the earth releasing naturally occuring arsenic into the drinking water?

What Ranil, Kusal and Nalin should understand is that the world is now fatally addicted to all these evil substances oil, pesticides, artificial fertilisers etc which are now essential to support its huge population of 7 billion. The world population reached this figure only because of these substances. When the world has virtually run out of land the only way to keep going was to produce more food with the available land hence the necessity for pesticides, artificial fertilisers, GM crios etc. There is no way artificial fertiliser can be replaced with compost for every single food growing field in the country. If it was possible it would have happened naturally as compost is far cheaper than expensive artificial fertiliser and if one were to substitue artificial fertiliser with compost one has to be prepared for the reduction in yield and the increase in captial required to transport truckloads of the stuff from populous areas to food growing areas. This has been possible to a certain extent in the west because the farmers can make up the lost revenue by raising the price of their organic product and meet the resulting shortfall by importing their vegetables from Africa where land is still plentiful. Sri Lankans dont have that luxury.

The real reason for this dependence is that most of the fields have lost their nutrients from centuries of farming and the only way to replace them efficiently is now through fertiliser.

A ban on artificial fertiliser I fear will inevitably lead to markedly reduced yields which would in turn cause pressure on our few remaining patches of undevoloped wilderness areas to be released as agricultural land. This would result in the total loss of bio diversity as has already happened in countries like the UK where almost all native mamals have been wiped off.

We just need to accept that the human civilisation has now peaked. We used up the worlds resources and have poisoned what remains to get our numbers to 7 Billion. We have now reached the point where we cannot sustain it at that level. The inevitable will now happen. Either a gradual decline or a total collapse. Either way it would be the best thing for the planet. As long as we spare a few forests and a few animals they will reclaim the earth and a hundred thousand years from now it will once more be a vibrant place with many cultures and many species. But if we raze what remains in order to keep going for as long as possible there will be nothing left for the revival.

And this is wat Naatha Deiyo told me when I bumped into him on the Niyara yesterday. He said “Mama Naathai, Umbala Anaathai” and walked off giggling to himself.