Chronic kidney disease unknown

Some food for thought:

Chronic kidney disease in the North Central Province is a disease spread due to hitherto unknown cause and from time to time scientists put forward different ideas, concepts and hypothesis to explain the disease spread. But all of these ideas are unacceptable or questionable.

It was aired recently in Rupavahini that the latest hypothesis for the spread of the above disease is due to Arsenic poisoning in the North Central Province. The source for arsenic is the agro-chemicals that is being used in crop cultivation. I am not going to deny this, as heavy contaminations detected by analysis and researchers have reconfirmed the values they obtained.

However, the methodology and its interpretation needs clarification as there is not much research done in this field. But there are two unclear areas in the whole episode, which I wish to draw attention of the relevant people.

Why is it restricted to North Central province but not in other dry zone areas where agro-chemicals are used heavily too? Reason, because the normal tendency is to contaminate the whole island via chemicals. The answer may be that the contaminated agro-chemicals are imported recently and therefore there is an upsurge of arsenic content in the soil due to seasonal application and became toxic and coincide with the time period of the disease spread.

Agrochemicals

The import restrictions of pesticides is the responsibility of Registrar of Pesticides, in the Department of Agriculture and since the early 70s. It has banned all pesticides having arsenic compounds of any form imported to the country.

To be continued

Dr Nanda Senanayake Faculty of Agriculture, RUSL Puliyankulama, Anuradhapura