The owners and managers of factories producing pesticides and fertilisers always say that their activities are safe, but not all of these people are as honest as they claim to be. Here are some examples: Bangkok Post, 20 Sep 1999 At least 28 people were killed and 20 others still unaccounted for after a powerful … Read more
Insects, weeds and plant diseases can make life very difficult for farmers. By controlling pests, farmers are able to reduce yield losses and sell more attractive produce. For many years, farmers were taught that the best way to control pests was by using chemicals. Mr. Nong Ampin is 60-year old rice farmer, who lives in … Read more
Most pesticides are poisonous, but some are more dangerous than others. There are three systems being used in Thailand to classify the risk to human health and warn people of the danger: The Thai Government had introduced a colour code for pesticide containers. A red stripe on the label indicates that the chemical is highly … Read more
These are some of the symptoms a person might experience if you have been exposed to pesticides: These symptoms can be caused by other illnesses, but if a person suffers a combination of these symptoms after using a pesticide it is likely that they have been poisoned. Farmers do not always realise that they are … Read more
They certainly can. Between 1992 and 1998, the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand carried out more than 2 million blood tests on farmers. More than 18% of the samples contained measurable amounts of pesticides. In some years, the number of blood samples containing pesticides was more than 25%. In a more recent study carried … Read more
Yes. The symptoms listed above (see previous question) are the acute effects of pesticides, which happen within a few hours or days after exposure to the chemicals. Pesticides can also have chronic effects, which happen over months or years. The chronic effects of these chemicals might include: Infertility and miscarriages, which means it is difficult … Read more
Yes. The amount of pesticide required to kill a person depends on a number of factors. The most important factors are: the toxicity and amount of the chemical, the size of the person and the type of exposure. If an average size man (70 kg) was to accidentally drink a pesticide, these are the amounts … Read more
Thousands of Thai people are poisoned by pesticides every year. The information that is collected by the Ministry of Public Health shows that the number of reported cases of occupational poisoning was as follows: These are the figures that are reported by hospitals and clinics. Each of these cases is a result of pesticide exposure … Read more
This is the story told by one farmer living in Amphur Paktor, Ratchaburi Province. Saweay Termtor was in his early 40’s, and he supported his wife and two children by growing 15 rai of rice. “My rice crop failed because of insufficient rain, so I went looking for work in the South. I was hired … Read more
Chemicals that are left in the crop after harvesting are called “residues”. The issue of pesticide residues is very serious in Thailand. Here is some information from three different sources that should make everybody worried about what they are eating: Between 1999 and 2003, the Ministry of Public Health tested 4,000 food samples from various … Read more
