Paddy farmers in Punjab worst hit by pesticide use: Study

PATIALA: Cotton, paddy and wheat farmers in Punjab have been worst hit by use of pesticides with 36 pc of them suffering DNA fragmentation, according to a survey.

The survey conducted by human biology department of Punjabi University in various districts of Punjab found significant DNA damage in 36 pc of farmers' blood samples.

The worst affected were cotton, paddy and wheat growers, the study found.

"Pesticides cause damage to the DNA and eventually its fragmentation. This increases the chances of cancer and chromosome mutation," said researcher Raminderjit Kaur, who wrote the paper 'Assessment of Genetic Damage in Workers Occupationally Exposed to Pesticides in Various Districts of Punjab'.

She said that blood samples of farmers were collected and tested twice a year between 2003 and 2006. The first 210 samples were collected soon after a day of intensive spraying.

The second tests were conducted on 60 farmers from the first group after six months, to determine the frequency of DNA repair.

While DNA fragmentation was found in 36 pc of the fresh samples, 15 pc of the follow-up cases showed fragmentation.