Environmental group warns of increasing pesticide poisonings

Photo: Wheat Association

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The Wheat Association for Supporting Ecologic Life has warned against increasing pesticide poisonings in Turkey and the world, citing two studies.

The number of pesticide poisoning cases in the world increased from 25 million in 1990 to 385 million in 2020, by 185 percent in other words, according to a new study published in BMC Public Health, a peer-reviewed journal.

The increase in the use of pesticides in the same period was 81 percent, says the study where data from 141 countries were examined.

Every year, about 44 percent of the 860 million farmers and agricultural workers in the world have pesticide poisoning and 11,000 of them die, according to the study.

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Although there is no data available about pesticide poisonings in Turkey, a study published in August 2020 found pesticide residues in the hair and blood of most farmers.

The study examined the hair and blood of 66 farmers and agricultural workers in Seyhan, Adana, in southern Turkey. Accordingly, at least one type of pesticide was found in the hair of every person and at least one type of pesticide was found in the blood of 94 percent of the people. A total of 31 types of pesticides were found in all hair samples.

In the control group, who were chosen among people who are not engaged in agricultural activities, pesticides were found in the hair of 55 people and the blood of 52 people.

Some 86 pesticide active ingredients are used in Turkey, including those that can be fatal if inhaled, cause cancer and harms the hormonal system, according to a table prepared by Dr. Bülent Şık, a food engineer and a rights defender. (SO/AÖ/VK)