Premature Hairs , Ageing And Predisposition To Cancer

Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2007Dec; 1(6):577-580
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Premature Greying of Hairs, Premature Ageing and
Predisposition to Cancer in Jajjal, Punjab: A Preliminary
Observation
HALDER A
Sir,
Reproductive, developmental, and neoplastic
disorders due to occupational pesticide exposure
are an international issue [1],[2]. There has been
increasing anxiety following several media
reports concerning health-related problems such
as cancer, infertility, malformation, abortion,
developmental delay, etc. in Punjab, particularly
in Jajjal of Bathinda [3–6]. Punjab Pollution
Control Board and Post Graduate Institute of
Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh,
have reported through press a close association
between environmental pollution and cancer in
Jajjal [7],[8]. To assess the authenticity of above
reports this preliminary survey was carried out.
A preliminary survey was undertaken during a
documentary film production for Public Service
Broadcasting Trust on the issue of pesticides
(granted by the Ministry of Environment, India),
to assess the authenticity of reported health
effects, in particular reproductive and cancer, in
Jajjal village of Bathinda, Punjab. Observations
were gathered on reproductive and other health
effects, using both qualitative and quantitative
methods. The qualitative phase consisted of brief
interviews (volunteered to provide information)
in school, market, medical clinic, and club from
Dept. of Reproductive Biology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Corresponding author: Dr. Ashutosh Halder, Associate
Professor. Dept. of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute
of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India.
Tel.: 011-26593304 ext. 4211/09313309579 (m); fax: 011-
26588663; e-mail: ashutoshhalder@yahoo.co.in
Contributors and guarantor: AH planned, designed,
organised, coordinated and carried out the survey. He also
did data analysis, interpretation, and data drafting of the
article. He will act as the guarantor of the paper.
farmer, shop keeper, school teacher, alternative
medical personnel, student, and unemployed in
Bathinda (city and several villages) for any
noticeable medical disorder. In the quantitative
phase, data were obtained from randomly
selected 15 families (from both higher and lower
socioeconomic group for equal representation,
i.e. random stratified) consisting of 596
individuals, from Jajjal village (most severely
affected village). Information was obtained on
current age, gender, age at menarche, age at
puberty, infertility, time to pregnancy, sex
determination, family size, contraception,
abortion, malformation (particularly
cryptorchidism, hypospadius, and neural tube
defect), stillbirth, postnatal death, mental
deficiency, age of menopause, premature
greying of hairs (more than 50% greying of
scalp hairs before the age of 40 years),
premature ageing (more than 10 years older in
appearance than corresponding chronologic
age), cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
joint pain, and any other significant problem.
Information was also obtained on source of
drinking water. Survey was assisted by village
chief, school head master, and two local nongovernment
organisations. Consent (verbal) was
obtained for the use of data, including
photograph and video recording for academic
use and video documentary.
The age range of survey population was between
<1 and 92 years. There were 330 males and 266
females, i.e. overall sex ratio of 806 (i.e.
skewed). Premature greying of hairs [9] was
seen in 28 individuals (4.7%) of both sexes (23
males and five females) and as early as 10 years
of age ([Table/Fig 1A, B]). Premature ageing
was seen in 19 males (3.2%) ([Table/Fig 2]).
577
Halder: Letter to the editor – health effects in Jajjal, Punjab
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2007Dec; 1(6):577-580
There were eight cases (four males: parotid,
larynx, stomach and multiple myeloma; four
females: breast, cervix in two, and bone) of
death due to cancer in last 10 years. There were
118 boys between 13 and 23 years of age and 15
failed to show puberty (voice change and
moustache; enlargement of external genitalia
also failed in four cases); however, growth spurt
was normal. There were 85 girls between the age
of 13 and 20 years. All except five girls had
started menstruation before completion of 15
years. There were seven cases of infertility, 10
cases of neonatal and infantile death (five males
(A)
(B)
[Table/Fig 1] Premature greying of hairs
in an 11-year-old boy (A) and a 12-year-old
girl (B).
,five female), four cases of mental subnormality,
five cases of diabetes mellitus, one
case of cryptorchidism, and one case of spina
bifida.
Excess of cryptorchidism, hypospadius,
congenital malformation (including neural tube
defect), spontaneous abortion, prenatal sex
selection, infertility, early menarche, and early
menopause were not observed in the preliminary
surveyed population.
[Table/Fig 2] Premature ageing in a 44-
year-old man (left). His 74-year-old uncle
(right) is provided for comparison.
Premature greying of hairs, premature ageing,
and increased cancer deaths were observed in
the survey. Greying of hairs was due to varying
degree of admixture of white and black hairs and
not uniformly white as seen with albinism.
Furthermore, there was no pigmentary change in
skin or eyes. Greying of hairs is under-reported,
as most affected individuals (adults) use hair dye
to prevent social stigma, discrimination, and
difficulties in marriages. Although greyness of
hair in the survey was not quantified, however, it
was obvious, noticeable, and appreciable. Most
of the observed cases (19/29) of premature
greying of hairs in the survey were from healthy
school-going children, as they were not aware of
discrimination later on. The perception of grey
hair derives in large part from the admixture of
pigmented and white hair in most cases;
however, in some individuals it was from
pigment dilution. It is possible that melanocytes
from grey and white hair follicles can be
induced to pigment in vitro [9]. Spontaneous repigmentation
was seen in one case following
migration from the village, thus indicating local
578
Halder: Letter to the editor – health effects in Jajjal, Punjab
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2007Dec; 1(6):577-580
environmental factors as likely explanation. It is
also supported by appearance of grey hairs in
two sisters few years after marriage in the
village. Hair greying may be caused by defective
self-maintenance of melanocyte stem cells [10]
or reactive oxygen species-mediated damage to
nuclear and mitochondrial DNA or through the
exposure of environmental toxicants [10].
Ageing has a variety of definitions and
implications depending on one’s perspective;
thus, phenotypes include extremely diversified
clinico-pathological conditions [11]. In this
study, premature ageing was considered when an
individual was apparently looking more than 10
years older than the chronological age, mainly
based on greying of hairs, alopecia, skin
wrinkling, and overall appearance. As the nature
of the study was a preliminary survey no attempt
to examine biomarkers (glucose, insulin, ATP,
and reproductive hormones, in particular
dehydro-epiandrosterone sulphate, reactive
oxygen species, ß-galactosidase, etc.) or
radiologic markers (osteopenia/osteoporosis,
soft-tissue calcifications, etc.) or other markers
(atherosclerosis, hypogonadism, atrophy of
organs, etc.) of ageing were made. Premature
ageing (excluding genetic progeria syndromes)
commonly refers to the unnatural acceleration of
the natural ageing process primarily due to
damage (faulty genome maintenance) from sun
exposure, other environmental assaults
(radiation, chemical toxins, metal ions, free
radicals, hydrolysis, glycation, etc.) and an
unhealthy lifestyle. Premature ageing was not
expected before the survey. There are two major
theories of ageing, i.e. evolutionary and damage
based [12]. The former is natural selection and
favours a genetic composition. Second theory is
based on accumulated cellular damage over a
time and mainly environmental. Reactive
oxygen species (ROS), the by-products of
cellular metabolism, have long been regarded as
the principal intrinsic effector of cell damage
[13]. An emerging consensus is that ageing is a
consequence of macromolecular damage by
ROS, which oxidise lipids, proteins, and DNA,
with damage to the DNA leading to mutations
and chromosomal abnormalities [14]. In some
instances, this could irreversibly affect important
functions of the cell without causing cell death,
i.e. cell senescence. The p53 protein plays a vital
role in maintaining cell cycle (cell-cycle
inhibitors). A defective p53 protein leads to
increased cancer susceptibility, while higher
than normal levels contribute to premature
ageing [15], through apoptosis-mediated cell
death and/or cell senescence.
There were eight cases of cancer death in last 10
years. This gives a frequency of 134 cancer
deaths per lakh per year. This incidence is higher
than expected (~50 per annum per lakh)
[16],[17]. From a study [17] of house-to-house
survey in Bathinda, cancer prevalence was found
as 103 per lakh in Talwandi Sabo (107/85315)
and cancer deaths as 52 per lakh per year. The
same study [17] also reported higher level of
heavy metals (viz. arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
selenium, and mercury) and pesticides (viz.
heptachlor, ethion, and chlorpyrifos) in drinking
water, vegetables, and blood in the region.
Several reports have found association of cancer
with environmental pollution, viz. arsenic with
leukaemia, radiation with cancer of bone/softtissue/
blood/lymphoid tissue, and pesticide with
cancers of thyroid/breast/uterus/prostate/testis
/lymphoma/leukaemia [18],[19]. Lung cancer
was reported with exposure to silica, asbestos,
chromium, nickel, and radon [20]. Preliminary
survey supports reports of excess of cancer
deaths in Jajjal.
This preliminary survey finds, for the first time,
many unreported health effects in Jajjal. These
are premature greying of hairs and premature
ageing. Survey supports reports of excess of
cancer deaths. Genomic instability, cancer, and
accelerated ageing (premature ageing and
premature greying of hairs) are interrelated. All
these health effects can be explained by one
hypothesis, i.e. "derailed genomic integrity
following exogenous insult". A large-scale
epidemiological survey is warranted to validate
the findings and if so then study to find out
reason and prevention.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Mr. Sumit Khanna,
independent filmmaker, Mumbai, India, for
inviting and arranging facility for the survey in
Bathinda. I also would like to thank Mr.
Surinder Singh, Jt. Director, Khetivirasat
(NGO), and Mr. Umendra Dutt, Kheti Virasat
Mission (NGO), for assisting with the local
people. I acknowledge Ms. Raminderjeet Kaur,
PhD student, Human Biology, Panjabi
University, Patiala, Punjab, for language
interpretation during the survey. I am grateful to
Mr. T Heinemann (Journalist) and LL Cour
579
Halder: Letter to the editor – health effects in Jajjal, Punjab
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2007Dec; 1(6):577-580
(photographer) of Heinemann Medier,
Copenhagen, Denmark, for providing some
photographs.
References
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[2] Toft G, Hagmar L, Giwercman A, Bonde JP.
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[3] Pesticides causing cancer: study. Tribune News
Service, Patiala, May 4 2005.
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[4] Kuruganti K. Children’s development
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th.php (accessed on 03/02/2006)
[6] Preet J. Cancer and Pesticides. 23 August, 2005.
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[7] Mathur HB, Agarwal HC, Johnson S, Saikia N.
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20050615/Punjab_blood_report.pdf (accessed
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[8] Study reveals link between pesticides and
cancer. Express News Service, Patiala, May 3.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?ne
wsid=127646 (accessed on 03/02/2006)
[9] Tobin DJ, Paus R. Graying: gerontobiology of the
hair follicle pigmentary unit. Exp Gerontol
2001;36:29–54.
[10] Nishimura EK, Granter SR, Fisher DE.
Mechanisms of hair graying: incomplete
melanocyte stem cell maintenance in the niche.
Science 2005;307:720–4.
[11] Hayflick L. How and why we age. Exp Gerontol
1998;33:639–53.
[12] Kirkwood TBL, Austad SN. Why do we age?
Nature 2000;408:233–8.
[13] Johnson F, Sinclair D, Guarente L. Molecular
biology of aging. Cell 1999;96:291–302.
[14] Hasty P, Campisi J, Hoeijmakers J, van Steeg H,
Vijg J. Aging and genome maintenance: lessons
from the mouse? Science 2003;299:1355–9.
[15] Ferbeyre G, Lowe SW. The price of tumor
suppression. Nature 2002;415:26-7.
[16] Joshi R, Cardona M, Iyengar S, Sukumar A, Raju
CR, Raju KR, et al. Chronic diseases now a
leading cause of death in rural India – mortality
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Initiative. Int J Epidemiol 2006;35:1522–9.
[17] Preet J. Cancer and Pesticides. 23 August, 2005.
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[18] Walker M, Benson M, Shaw WD. Significance of
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J Water Health 2005;3:305–12.
[19] Warner M, Eskenazi B, Mocarelli P, Gerthoux PM,
Samuels S, Needham L, Patterson D, et al.
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580

khetivirasat: India's Deadly Chemical Addiction

khetivirasat: India's Deadly Chemical Addiction

India's Deadly Chemical Addiction

TIME ( weekly Magazine ) New York

India's Deadly Chemical Addiction
Tuesday, Jun. 10, 2008 By MADHUR SINGH ( Reports )

Indian cancer sufferer Mukthiar Singh, second to right, sits with family members on a platform in Bhatinda, waiting to board a train known as the "Cancer Express"

www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1813081,00.html

On a scorching June afternoon in Jhajjal village in southwestern Punjab, elderly men have gathered in a communal courtyard to quell the boredom of the long afternoon with a game of cards. The cotton crop has been sown, and the farmers have a few weeks' holiday before they must return to their fields. As with most small villages, everyone knows everyone else here, and the conversation centers around marriages and births. But these usually mundane topics have taken on a tragic twist, involving couples failing to conceive, children being born with genetic disorders, people of all ages succumbing to cancer. Nadar Singh, the village headman, says there have been some 20 cancer-related deaths during the last five years in Jhajjal, a village of only 3,200. "A 23-year-old died of cancer in our village last year," he says, "But such news has stopped shocking us. Here even kids have cancer."
Related Articles
India's rural activists for years have blamed the overuse and misuse of pesticides for a pervasive health crisis that afflicts villages like Jhajjal across the cotton belt of Punjab. Evidence continues to mount that the problems are severe. Last month, a government-funded study revealed that chemical fertilizers and pesticides have seeped into the groundwater in four Punjab districts and are causing an alarming array of ecological and health problems including cancer and mental retardation. A June 2005 study by the new Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment found residues of between 6 and 13 pesticides in blood samples of villagers from Mahi Nangal, Jajjal and Balloh villages in Bhatinda district. Recent research by Punjabi University at Patiala established evidence of DNA damage among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides; damaged genes can give rise to a range of cancers as well as neurological and reproductive disorders. Bala, a 24-year-old day laborer, worked for two months in the fields during the spraying season four years ago. Not long after, her second child, a boy, was born with a neurological disorder and has recently been diagnosed with hydrocephalus. "His treatment is so expensive that we have had to borrow large amounts of money... I know he won't survive" she says. Surinder Singh, the executive director of the rural NGO Kheti Virasat, says, "Punjab is paying with its life for a dubious promise of prosperity."
Punjab's lethal pesticide legacy can be traced to the Green Revolution of the 1960s and '70s, when high-yielding varieties of cotton were introduced in the region's relatively arid Malwa belt. Initially the move was successful as yields and prices were good. But farmers soon discovered that the cotton was highly susceptible to pests, and ended up spending huge amounts on pesticides. As the pests, such as pink bollworm and aphids, became increasingly resistant to chemical spraying, farmers reacted by laying on even more, sometimes mixing two or more products against all scientific evidence. The region virtually became a chemical laboratory. The expense of spraying put many farmers deep in debt, yet they remain vulnerable to outbreaks such as a mealy bug attack last year that destroyed 70% of the crop. "Earlier, we used less water, traditional crops and organic manure. Now, it's all chemicals," says Sarmukh Singh, a 93-year-old patriarch in Jhajjal. "We've got our land addicted, but we don't know how to fight this addiction."
The health impact on the region is shocking. A daily passenger train that runs from Bathinder to Bikaner in neighboring Rajasthan is nicknamed the "Cancer Express" because it routinely fills a dozen cars with patients and their attendants on their way to a charitable hospital. Despite the high incidence of cancer, there is no government-run cancer hospital in the Malwa region, although the government announced plans to build one last year. "Officials sometimes visit our village, but they never seem to do anything," says Santosh, a 35-year-old resident of Jhajjal who was diagnosed with leukemia three years back and goes to Bikaner every six months for a blood transfusion.
There's plenty of blaming going on. Pesticide companies blame farmers for not adhering to prescribed quantities and not using protective gear. Workers who spray the chemicals blame landlords for not investing in protection, and companies for not properly informing them of the dangers of exposure. Farmers claim it is greedy dealers who push them to spray more, and also blame the government's failure to change its policies after the harmful side effects of the Green Revolution began showing. "We know what we are doing is not sustainable," says Nazar Singh, the chief of Jhajjal. "The agriculture department and the PAU [Punjab Agricultural University, which pioneered the Green Revolution]should come up with an alternative."
Faced with the latest studies on the effects of pesticides on the ecology and on people's health, Punjab Pollution Control Board is holding a meeting in the coming weeks to decide what action to take. For the moment, the government doesn't seem to have a plan of action, though piecemeal steps are afoot. It is promoting herbal pesticides and extending outreach programs to better educate farmers about the dangers of pesticide overuse—not only in this region but all over Punjab. Some farmers are taking up organic farming, and many scientists have been calling for a return to crops more suited to the local landscape—in the case of the Malwa region, pulses and cereals like bajra and maize in addition to cotton—to restore the biodiversity of the soil. The Congress Party–led government in Delhi has been talking about the need to launch a second Green Revolution, for which it is partnering with countries like the U.S. and Israel to devise technologies that are more sustainable. It is looking at developing and introducing transgenic crops and other advances in biotechnology. But, as Surinder Singh of Kheti Virasat points out, the government must ensure that it doesn't repeat the mistakes it made the first time around. "The Punjab farmer basks in the glory of making Punjab the bread basket of India," he says, "but the price has been too high. Punjab cannot pay with the lives of its next generation."
time:http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1813081,00.html

Health problems in cotton belt of Punjab

Premature aging

A 14 years old boy ( Gurcharan Singh ) on right side and his father S. Sohan Singh Village Bangi Niha Singh Walal , Talwandi Sabo , Bathinda (50 years) looks similar in age.

3 years old boy Nameesh of village Jajjal, Talwandi Sabo ,village of cotton belt with hydrocephaly, cancer and neurological defect .

Photograph of person with premature aging. The person on the left side is 50 years old and the right one is 70 years old but there seems little difference between the age of two from their exrenal appearence.The former looks more aged from his present age.

Picture of boy with grey hairs at the age of 13 years.Many other children of village Jajjal were observed to have about 70 % of their hairs grey.

DNA damage in Punjab farmers due to pesticides- A study by Punjabi university

Following research presents the abstarct of the study conducted on the farmers of Punjab by a research scholar of Punajbi University on the effect of various pesticides used on the DNA of the farmers. The present study has been conducted with a view to investigate the potential genetic hazards associated with occupational exposure to various pesticides in selected districts of Punjab.The study was carried out on 210 occupationally exposed workers and revealed DNA damage in 35.71% cases. In case of control subjects, DNA damage was detected in 8%cases only .

ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC DAMAGE IN WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO VARIOUS PESTICIDES IN SELECTED DISTRICTS OF PUNJAB

RAMINDERJEET KAUR, Department of Human Biology, Punjabi University, Patiala

Key Words: Pesticides, Comet Assay, Genetic Damage, Agriculture workers, Comet tail length.

Abstract:

Pesticides are unavoidable in agriculture as they are useful in enhancing crop productivity. Despite the beneficial affects associated with their use, many of them form a potential hazard to human and mother nature. The present study has been conducted with a view to investigate the potential genetic hazards associated with occupational exposure to various pesticides in selected districts of Punjab. In order to determine possible genotoxic effects in agricultural workers, blood samples were taken from 210 workers divided into three groups i.e. group A (orchard sprayers), group B (vegetable sprayers) and group C (wheat, paddy, cotton etc. sprayers) one day after spraying during intense spraying activity. Seventy samples for each group A, B and C and fifty samples for a control group of normal healthy age matched individuals were taken. Twenty cases each from group A, B and C were selected for a follow up study amongst those workers who showed DNA damage. Second sampling of follow up cases was done during a period of null or minimum spraying 5-6 months after first sampling. Genetic damage was assessed using alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay. One hundred cells were examined for each individual and measurements were recorded with the help of ocular micrometer. Two comet parameters viz. head diameter and tail length were measured in micrometers (µm) and a third one i.e. T/N index was derived from these parameters. A fourth parameter i.e. the frequency of cells showing migration was calculated by scoring damaged cells and total cells on the slide. Highly significant increase in genetic damage was observed in exposed group compared to control. Workers of all the three exposed groups showed interindividual as well as intra-individual variations in four comet parameters while control group subjects showed quite homogenous results. The frequency of genetic damage was significantly reduced in the follow up cases of all the three groups. Duration of exposure did not significantly influence the level of DNA damage in three exposed groups as no correlation between genetic damage and duration of exposure was found. Herbicides were found to show more deleterious effect in comparison to other classes of pesticides. No significant increase in genetic damage was seen with the increase in age of the workers. No correlation was observed between smoking and genetic damage in the three groups. Non-vegetarians and alcoholics showed slightly higher incidence of genetic damage than vegetarians and non-alcoholics but the differences were non-significant. With respect to the use of protective clothing and devices, individuals exhibited lower values of comet parameters than those who did not take any safety measure, but the differences were statistically non-significant .

Pesticide Residues in Blood Samples from Villages of Punjab-A report by CSE, Delhi

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/Images/20050615/Punjab_blood_report.pdf
Pesticide is a general term for substances, which are used to poison pests (weeds, insects, molds,
rodents etc.). The pesticides most acutely dangerous to humans are insecticides and rodenticides. Synthetic pesticides have been popular with farmers, because of their widespread availability,simplicity in application, efficacy and economic returns. But they also have huge environmental costs.After India’s Green Revolution started, the consumption of pesticides in India has increased several hundred folds, from 154 MT in 1954 to 88,000 MT in 2000-2001. According to industry estimates, the pesticide use has high growth potential in India, as the use of agricultural pesticides is markedly low at 0.54 kg /ha as against 3.7 kg/ha in USA and 2.7 kg/ha in Europe. Notwithstanding the fact that overall consumption of pesticides in India as a whole is low than that used in the developed countries of the world, there is still a widespread contamination of water, soil and air with pesticide residues. In India, among different states maximum consumption of pesticides-1999-2000 was in Uttar Pradesh(7459 MT) followed by Punjab (6972 MT), Haryana (5025 MT), Andhra Pradesh (4054 MT), Gujarat(3646 MT). Leading pesticides used in India include monocrotophos (10700 MT- highest consumed),
acephate (6400MT), endosulfan (5600 MT) and chlorpyrifos (5000 MT - fourth highest consumed).(Source: Pesticide Information, Volume XXVIII, No. 3, October- December 2002).
About 54% of the total pesticides used in Indian agriculture are consumed on cotton alone, though it accounts for only 5% of the total cultivated area (Puri et al, 1999) and nearly 20-25 per cent are used for the control of sucking pests and bollworm. Pesticides have become integral part of villagers in Punjab. Bhatinda district in Punjab, an important cotton belt of the country irrigated by canal water grows largely cotton and rice crop –the two crops known for excessive use of pesticides. The Punjab Agricultural University at Ludhiana recommends only seven sprays on cotton in six months, but farmers in Bhatinda spray as many as 32 times. (www.indiatogether.org). Many people are using empty containers of pesticide for storing most of the food items. (Source: An epidemiological study of cancer cases reported from villages of Talwandi Sabo block district Bhatinda, Punjab, Final Report, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Patiala). Several studies have shown pesticide residues in breast milk (Kalra et al, 1994), bovine milk (Kalra et al, 1999), fruits and vegetables from Punjab and a few reports of high incidence of cancer have been coming from certain areas of Punjab since last few years. An epidemiological study was conducted in villages of Talwandi Sabo block, district Bhatinda by the Chandigarh based Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on behalf of the Punjab Government to assess whether cancer cases are higher in these areas. A total population of 183243 consisting of 39732 families in 129 villages- a population of 85315 in 36 villages of Talwandi Sabo block of Bhatinda district and a reference population of 97928 in 93 villages of Chamkaur Sahib block of Roop Nagar district - was surveyed. A total of 7441 deaths were recorded which occurred in last 10 years (1993-2003). Age adjusted cancer
death rate per 1,00,000 population per year at Talwandi Sahib was 51.2 while in control area
Chamkaur Sahib it was 30.3. Age adjusted prevalence of confirmed cancer cases was 103 per lakh at Talwandi Saboo and 71 per lakh in Chamkaur Sahib. Cancer of female reproductive system, i.e. breast, uterus/cervix and ovary were more common in Talwandi sabo whereas cancer of blood and lymphatic system, esophagus and bones were more common in Chamkaur Sahib block.(Source: An epidemiological study of cancer cases reported from villages of Talwandi Sabo block district Bhatinda, Punjab, Final Report, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Patiala)
Not many studies have been carried out to confirm that pesticides are responsible for various incidences of cancer and other diseases in Punjab but the research worldwide has shown
that pesticides do produce these effects. Biological monitoring provides the basis for estimating an internal chemical doze by measuring pesticide and their metabolite compound concentrations in selected tissues, fluids, or bodily waste (feces and or urine) (Woollen, 1993). Analysis of blood
provides evidence of exposure of the body to pesticides and gives an indication of the body burden of the pesticide residues. Monitoring OC concentration in blood is most appropriate because these pesticides are lipophilic in nature. Similarly, monitoring OP concentrations in blood or blood products (serum, plasma) offers several advantages. The parent compounds can be monitored directly in blood products instead of their metabolites, which are usually measured in urine. Blood measurements provide an estimation of the dose available for the target site, allowing for prediction of dose-response relationships. Furthermore, because blood is a regulated fluid (the volume does not vary substantially with water intake or other factors), the blood concentrations of toxicants measured at a specific time interval after exposure will remain the same as long as the absorbed amounts are constant; therfore no corrections for dilution are necessary. ( Wessels et al , 2003)
PML scientists visited Punjab and collected blood samples from 20 randomly selected people from 4 different villages of Punjab - Mahi Nangal, Jajjal and Balloh in Bhatinda district and
Dher in Ropar district. Agricultural fields surrounded these villages and pesticide use was evident.
The blood samples were analyzed with a widely and internationally used methodology based on
United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) protocols for organochlorine pesticides with Electron Capture Detector and organophosphorus pesticide with Nitrogen Phosphorus detector using a capillary column. Results are presented in this report.