DOH bans aerial spray on farmlands

MANILA, Philippines - After consulting with local and international health experts, the Department of Health yesterday recommended the banning of aerial spraying of pesticides, saying that this is harmful to humans and the environment.

In a statement, the DOH said that it has consulted the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and they reached the conclusion that aerial spraying must be prohibited “until proof of its safety is clearly established by the industry.”

“Scientific information from international organizations and published literature show that pesticide drift is unavoidable whenever pesticides are applied by spraying,” the DOH noted. The studies showed that “drift is greatest from aerial application where almost 40 percent of pesticides applied is lost.”

In this case, the DOH claimed, residential areas and schools are exposed to considerable risks to spray drift and post-application drift because of their proximity to the plantations. “Local guidelines on aerial spraying do not contain any provision to protect communities living in and around banana plantations against exposure to pesticide drift,” the DOH added.

Based on international assessments conducted by the WHO, UNEP and International Labor Organization, the chemicals sprayed in banana plantations like chlorothalonil and mancozeb, can affect human health and are considered highly toxic to aquatic organisms. It further showed that persons exposed to these chemicals are likely to experience skin inflammation or irritant contact dermatitis), skin rashes or hives (urticaria), and other rapidly-progressing, life-threatening allergic reactions.

Banana workers’ stand

However, a labor leader criticized yesterday the DOH for clinging to a 2006 study, which has been discredited by no less than the World Health Organization and other groups, which claimed that aerial spraying of fungicides is hazardous to the health of communities living near banana plantations.

Jesus Pagaran, vice president of the Southern Minda­nao Associated Labor group said in a statement that the WHO had just come out with a report that the findings of the studies made by Dr. Romeo Quijano and the University of the Philippines research supporting the allegation that pesticides have caused illnesses and death are inconclusive.

“The proponents of the study, particularly Dr. Lynn Panganiban, insisted that aerial spraying should be stopped. However, the WHO’s pesticide experts reiterated that based on the document/data given to them, the conclusion to ban aerial spraying is not supported by adequate data,” he said.

Pagaran said despite these findings by the WHO, the DOH actually issued a statement claiming to have received an official communication from the WHO Philippine Office citing significant comments from the experts’ technical review indicating “support for surveillance, environmental monitoring, banning of aerial spraying, and further epidemiological study on health effects of pesticides usage. It was also cited that aerial application of pesticides have shown to mostly reach non-target sites and communities.”