Health Effects of Pesticide Use Evidence from Bangladesh

Susmita DasguptaCraig Meisner

DECRG-IE, The World Bank

Pesticide consumption (metric tons)

Pesticide consumption (metric tons)

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1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

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Source: Department of Plant Protection Wing, Bangladesh

Pesticide consumption has more than doubled in the past decade

Alarming Composition of Pesticides

A Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) analysis of active ingredients in use has revealed:

high shares of chemicals (e.g., carbamates and organophosphates) with established Epidemiological links with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, lung cancer, aplastic anemia, fetal death, hormonal changes, DNA damage, birth defects, and abnormal sperm, ovaries and eggs.

Active Ingredients Used (sold) in the Agricultural Sector, Bangladesh Consumption (million tons) Year

Insecticides 1990 1991 1992 1994 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 Carbamate Insecticides 170 182 202 - 210 250 270 290 300

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons 30 24 32 - 28 35 15 1 -

Organo-Phosphates 720 751 821 - 855 810 950 980 1,020

Pyrethroids 9 9 14 - 13 14 15 5 15

Other Insecticides 26 26 33 - 18 45 50 50 30

Total Insecticides 955 992 1102 - 1124 1154 1300 1326 1365

Herbicides Bipiridils - - - - - 12 20 20 19

Phenoxy Hormone Products 9 10 10 - 6 32 30 30 28

Other Herbicides 26 25 23 - 27 22 13 13 15

Total Herbicides 35 35 33 - 33 66 63 63 62

Fungicides Benzimidazoles - - 1 - 1 7 5 5 7

Diazines, Morpholines - - 1 - 1 5 4 4 2

Dithiocarbamates 130 125 131 - 120 132 155 170 320

Other Fungicides 4 5 3 - 6 6 5 5 23

Inorganics 142 130 175 - 200 320 375 410 350

Triazoles, Diazoles 276 260 1 - 1 5 6 4 6

Fungicide &Bacterial &Seed Treatment 276 260 312 - 329 475 550 598 708

Rodenticides Anticoagulants - - 1 - 1 2 2 1 2

Other Rodenticides - - 5 - - 5 4 5 4

Total Rodenticides - - 6 - 1 7 6 6 6 A. Source: FAO

Need for Careful Assessment and Planning

Current projections suggest that the agricultural output of Bangladesh needs to grow several times during the next several decades, as the population of Bangladesh continues to grow and incomes increase.

Bangladesh, a densely populated country (997 people km2 in 2000), will have to increase yields from the land currently under cultivation in order to serve this increased demand.

During the past several decades, rising agricultural productivity has been driven by an increased utilization of capital and chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers) and genetic alteration of crops.

The cited increase in the use of toxic chemicals warrant careful assessment of the current situation and experimentation with feasible alternative production systems, for example, Integrated Pest Management/ and organic farming techniques.

Limited Secondary Data on Pesticides

The Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture maintains

1.Time series of yearly consumption of pesticides.

2. A list is complied every year to indicate which pesticides (by active ingredient and company) have been given permission to be sold in the market.

However, the popular belief is as large scale smuggling of pesticide from neighboring countries takes place, both the yearly consumption and list of permitted pesticides actually understate the amount of pesticides being consumed as well as the variety of pesticides available in the market.

Current Information on Health Effects

Historical information on the health effects of pesticide use in Bangladesh is not available. Although the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) maintains aggregate data on poisoning related morbidity or death up to 1998-99, information by source of poisoning (i.e. morbidity and mortality related to pesticides) is not available.

A newly improved system of health-related information is being introduced by the DGHS. The new system (information is compiled on the basis of source of poisoning, e.g., poisoning with organophosphates treated as a separate and distinct entry) initially covered only two districts beginning in 2000-01: Gazipur and Narsingdi. The new system is expected to gradually extend its coverage to other districts as well over time.

World Bank Research on Pesticides

Crop composition of the survey

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Boro Beans Eggplant Cabbage Potato Mango

Crop

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Pesticide Applications Reported by Survey Respondents

One in five pesticides reported by survey respondents has been classified by the WHO as “Extremely Hazardous”.

Number of pesticide applications by WHO classification

Classification Frequency Percent

Extremely hazardous 778 19.12 Moderately hazardous 2383 58.58 Slightly hazardous 305 7.50 Unclassified 602 14.80

Total 4068 100.00 Note: Based on 51 active ingredients and 161 formulations (commercial names)

Pesticide Applications Reported by Survey Respondents

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs):

The survey cited 18 applications of Endrin and 40 applications of Heptachlor were cited in the survey.

DDT is still sold in the retail markets.

Number of pesticide applications by WHO classification Classification Frequency Percent Extremely hazardous 778 19.12 Moderately hazardous 2383 58.58 Slightly hazardous 305 7.50 Unclassified 602 14.80 Total 4068 100.00 Note: Based on 51 active ingredients and 161 formulations (commercial names)

Use of Protective Clothing

The study found that the use of protective clothing during mixing and spraying of pesticides was not a common practice.

Farmers usually worked in the fields and sprayed pesticides bare footed (only 1% reported wearing sandals);

2% wear gloves while spraying pesticides;

57% of the farming population cover their head with ‘gamchha’ while working in the fields;

8% reportedly wear hats;

6% use locally available cotton masks (the cotton mask in use is, essentially, an ordinary piece of cloth kept in place by strings made of cloth; hence quite ineffective);

3% use eye glasses.

Health Effects

Acute:

mild headaches

flu-like symptoms

skin rashes

blurred vision

other neurological disorders

Chronic:

cardiopulmonary problems

neurological and hematological symptoms

adverse dermal effects

Overall Health Effects found in the Survey

47% of the farmers and pesticide applicators in the survey reported frequent health problems such as irritation in their eyes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, shortness of breath, skin effects, and even convulsions among others.

Overall Health Effects found in the Survey

47% of the farmers and pesticide applicators in the survey reported frequent health problems such as irritation in their eyes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, shortness of breath, skin effects, and even convulsions among others.

Among those (respondents) who experienced ailments 86% were quite sure that their ailments were due to exposure to pesticides.

The interviews further revealed that 28% of the respondents experienced multiple health effects, with the maximum number of ailments as five.

Specific Health Effects found in the Survey

Among the most perceptible health problems encountered in the survey, eye effects, neurological effects (headache, dizziness), dermal effects and gastrointestinal tract effects (vomiting) were the most common.

Right after application of pesticides:

27% of the respondents reported irritation in the eyes

33% reported headache/ and dizziness

14% reported skin irritation

9% reported vomiting

Duration of Reported Ailments

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EyeIrritation

Headache Dizziness Vomiting Shortnessof breath

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Minimum Mean Maximum

Safer Alternative: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

In contrast to the 47% among the general pesticide-using population only 31% of the IPM farmers reported health problems such as irritation in their eyes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, shortness of breath and skin effects.

Statistical analysis confirmed the difference in health effects is significant.

Is Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture Less Profitable for Farmers?

Evidence on Integrated Pest Management

Adoption of IPM

Education, prior training, experience, ownership and poor health have significant positive effect on IPM adoption probability.

IPM Techniques in Practice : Manual removal of pests (70% of the sample), Use of natural parasites and predators (58%), Light traps (14%), Crop rotation (10%) Smoke (5%).

Comparative Input-Use, Yield, Profitability, Soil and Environmental Effects

Input-use accounting, conventional production functions and frontier production estimation suggested:

1. The productivity of IPM rice farming is not significantly different from the productivity of conventional farming.

2. Since IPM reduces pesticide costs with no countervailing loss in production, it appears to be more profitable than conventional rice farming.

3. Our interview results also suggest substantial health and ecological benefits.

Recommendations

Information system on pesticides

Monitoring health and environmental effects of pesticides

Evaluation and promotion of safer alternatives