A Survey on the Insecticide Exposure and the Related Health Hazards in Kinakary, Kuttanad, India

The present study has decided to conduct a survey in the Kinakary Grama Panchayat covering various aspects of insecticide pollution especially the prevalence of insecticide related issues and health problems in the area. The households were listed to find out the cultivators and the agricultural labourers of the ward. An awareness seminar was conducted for the students, teachers and farmers of the region regarding pesticide hazards and environment pollution. A questionnaire covering the possible issues regarding insecticide application, precautions, awareness, related health problems especially cancer and other allergic conditions and the attitude of people towards the use of pesticides was prepared in Malayalam. A total of 200 people participated in the study in which 115 were males and 84 were females, 85 % resort to chemical methods for controlling harmful insects, only 3.5 % tried organic options and 12.5 % tried both organic and chemical methods. Out of the 200 people converse with 84 % were resorting fully to the chemical methods of pest control.65 % experienced discomforts of various kinds during the spray.35 % (lower CI 28.38 and upper CI 41.61) were able to survive without any discomfort during the procedure. But 83.5 % (lower CI 78.35 and upper CI 88.58) people suffered after the spray and only 16.5 % (lower CI 11.35 and upper CI 21.64) escaped without facing any discomfort. Thus it can be assumed that out of the 35 % escaped without any symptom during the spray, 18.5 % faced health problems after the spray. This shows that 83.5 % of the total people surveyed suffered a discomfort or a combination of them after the spray.3.5 % cancer cases were reported, this is a significantly alarming percentage.