BITTER HARVEST
Submitted by Melanie Elliott
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
BITTER HARVEST
Melanie Elliott
Poor balance, muscle weakness, paralysis, uncoordinated muscle groups, memory loss, disorientation, visual control difficulties, cognitive deficits, speech and auditory deficits, fatigue, dizziness, sensory loss.........reflects a listing of some medical problems that one would expect to find in a pharmaceutical reference book under the heading of contraindications and adverse effects to medication(s).
I do not wish to be an alarmist but the above describes a package of hardships, disabilities, and irreversible life threatening situations individuals can encounter when exposed to aerial sprayed pesticides such as Carbofuran / Furadan which has/had been used by growers of crops throughout this continent in past years. Ill-defined, debilitating disease with irreversible outcomes may well be the result of what we consume or are unknowing being exposed to... "you are what you eat". The irresponsibility of corporations manufacturing this particular chemical and the application of "partial bans" by governmental agencies is well-beyond my comprehension of ethical work issues, professional and personal responsibilities and social justice.
With today's technology, chemists in the food growing industry have developed this sophisticated chemical that enabled growers to harvest first grade produce for our nation's consumption as well as a commodity worthy of competitive international trade. Carbofuran (Furadan) play a significant role in the management of some selected high-grade crops.
It is my belief that the general public must take responsibility for reporting unexpected events and observations that arise from the use or presence of chemicals within the food growing industry. Reports of water supply contamination, spills, accidents, and wildlife mortality are imperative to the investigation of potential toxic pesticides used in the fields. Incident reports associated with the use of any specific pesticide is vital to regulatory bodies if they are to establish product control. Carbofuran (Furadan) is absolutely of no exception to this civic responsibility.
I am encouraged that Federal governing bodies did initiate a special review study of Carbofuran (Furadan) when the toxicity of it was in question. Unfortunately, it can take years before sufficient data is gathered to complete a special review study. The outcome of a study is the foundation for regulatory bodies to make recommendations on the continued use or if warranted, the removal of the pesticide from the marketplace. The following questions and testimonies are samples of personal stories surrounding the pesticide Carbofuran (Furadan) which continues to used in fields of specific crops of this nation. These experiences cannot be ignored and must be addressed by product manufacturers, agricultural regulatory bodies and environmental communities.
TESTIMONIES:
1) Approximately, 300 individuals living in one of our nations more productive farming communities have experienced devastating, irreversible neurological deficits and disabilities secondary to exposure to Carbofuran (Furadan).
One young mother of this community stated she could never have imagined she would become a victim of her rural environment and raise her two young sons from a motorized wheelchair. As a homemaker of a busy family, she has had to give control of her role to anyone who offers assistance. Hope of survival has driven this family from their homestead and community - they felt desperate times required desperate measures.
2) A farmer and pioneer in the development of a rich farmland leaves his roots and relocates to an arid ranch country setting in hopes that his complex medical problems would improve in the drier climate. This individual left his daughter and son-in-law to rent his fields to farmers from within the community. Their land was the epitome of a farmer's dream and when crops were pushed with Carbofuran (Furadan), crops yields were astounding.
My last encounter with this family left me with a horrifying picture. The enthusiastic young daughter with a passion for nature now mimics her father's chronic ill health. She too is experiencing major neurological symptoms. This couple's dreams for a family of their own is now very questionable. Despite illness, this courageous young lady manages the family farm from her bed.
To my knowledge, the son-in-law did not experience the disabling limitations and one can only speculate that he was at less risk to the daily exposure of a pesticide applied to the crops as he is away from the farm site for approximately eight hours a day working in the near-by town.
3) A busy, career orientated, city-living couple recognized a heavy stress situation and proceeded to make a temporary change as a method of coping with the growing stress in their lives. They felt a retreat to a rural setting would give them the respite they needed. They did some creative budgeting and planned to remain low key in the business world by using a computer from their rented farmhouse.
They packed up their basic necessities and with two cats in tow took off to enjoy the welcomed temporary lifestyle change in the country.
For the first few days they busied themselves making their new home comfortable. The cats were initially confined to the farmhouse to ensure they orientated themselves to a portion of their new territory and shelter.
This couple's perception of peaceful rural living took on a different picture when each morning they were awakened with the noise of farmers working fields from dawn to dusk. Despite the noise of farm machinery, they enjoyed early evening walks down country roads experiencing the scents and nature studies around them.
All was not as it appeared.. Within a few weeks two of their cats returned to the farm house displaying peculiar behaviour. One friend described the situation as the cats had "turned wild". Both pets had to be destroyed. It is anyone's guess what happened to these animals. In the moment of loss and sadness, the question of an necropsy was not discussed. In hindsight, the most obvious question leads one to ask if these cats ingested (directly or indirectly) Carbofuran (Furadan) which was being widely used by farmer's within the immediate neighbourhood. Perhaps the cats were catching field mice that had been rendered toxic or had eaten toxic seeds. Or, maybe it was the song birds they ate. If this hypothesis of the presence of Carboruran (Furadan) is correct, it is quite logical these cats became ill through secondary ingestion.
The couple continue to reflect back to that summer at the farmhouse and acknowledge that their pets did return home frequently with bird carcasses and field mice.
Another observation they made pertained to the colour of the evening's sky at the level of the horizon. The skyline reflected rays of light through dense layers of field dust....one can only assume these clouds of dust containing, in part, Carbofuran (Furadan) particles which was being used to push fertile, insect-free soil to its most productive state.
4) A young woman routinely began her day as the sun rose. Her first chore was to attend to early morning laundry tasks however she became discourage that field dust prevented her from hanging out bed linens to dry in the early morning sun. The remainder of the day was spent harvesting and preparing food for storage. Her husband worked as a firefighter in a nearby community - his working hours frequently consisted of four consecutive 24-hour shifts. On one of her husband's longer work shifts, she decided to leave the farm property and chores to join her family for a picnic in a community about 70 miles away. She felt the family picnic would give her a break she well deserved. After a good night's sleep in her rented farmhome she was up at dawn and looking forward to the drive through the valley. She took her time to enjoy the sights and smells of passing farmlands. Midway to her destination she saw a small aircraft spraying large corn fields. She was fascinated by the ability of the aircraft and stopped the car (a convertible) to watch how the airplane maneuvered between electrical lines.
She enjoyed the picnic and recreation that continued into the wee hours of the morning. She awoke late in the morning but despite the restful sleep, she felt too unwell to drive home alone. A friend drove her home, but before reaching the farmhouse, it was obvious that she was very sick and her friend took her to the emergency department of a hospital. This young woman slipped into a comatose state and has never returned to her previous level of function.
What
went wrong ???? Was this woman
exposed to Carbofuran (Furadan) while watching the airplane spray the field from
her open car or could it be that the fields surrounding the rented farmhouse
became a source of the toxic exposure. After
a lengthy hospitalization this woman was discharged with a diagnosis of toxic
encephalopathy (a term meaning a sickness affecting the brain) --- many of her
symptoms mimicked those attributed to the exposure of Carbofuran (Furadan).
Once again, due to the complex picture that was presented upon entering
hospital, an analysis of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord was not
completed in the initial and crucial stages of her illness.
Today , this woman remains a mere wisp of her former self.
She experiences many cross disabilities and requires the assistance of
twenty-four hour attendant care.
CONCLUSION:
This article has been a difficult topic to share as I have witnessed such personal destruction and families in crises - situations secondary to the toxic effects of Carbofuran (Furadan). Incentive to write this report grew when I realized that by sharing these stories, others might be encouraged to join me in the challenge to ensure the food we put on our table will be of a quality this nation's food growers are obligated to provide without risk to the wellness of humankind.
If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, please email us at list@safe2use.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.