I REFER to the letter from TATIB “Pesticides can cause hay fever” and the article “Hay fever blues”.
Every year around Spring time, reports surface about hay fever occurring amongst people staying in agricultural communities. These symptoms are often blamed on the application of pesticides.
At this time many grasses and other plants are flowering and the pollen generated, I would suggest, would be more likely to cause some of the symptoms such as hay fever, upper respiratory tract irritation, sinus problems and asthma mentioned by TATIB.
The Nocebo effect (cf Placebo) should also be considered. This effect manifests when a subject has a pessimistic belief and expectation that an inert substance will cause harmful consequences and results in the subject believing he or she is adversely affected.
I firmly believe that we need watchdog bodies in society who keep a critical eye open on all matters that could affect our health and well-being and who prevent unwanted practises going unseen in our communities. However, it is not helpful when sweeping statements are made by those seeking attention for their cause.
The suggestion that the application of pesticides in our farming areas will cause “central nervous system damage, respiratory problems and even cancer” is untrue and irresponsible.
The statement “Many of the pesticides that are used on the vineyards in places like Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek have been banned in other countries as they are considered to be highly toxic” is false.
Farmers who export their wine, grapes or fruit are required to follow pest control programmes which are very strictly monitored down to farm level by our own authorities and the countries and their supermarkets that receive these products.
Products used for crop protection are developed by responsible international companies who take great care to ensure their safety when used as prescribed.
It takes ten years from the discovery of a new chemical up to commercial use. In this time the toxicology of the product is intensively researched and studies on toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and mammalian reproduction are done.
In addition, environmental studies are undertaken to determine e.g. the effect on beneficial organisms such as bees, naturally occurring predatory insects and micro-organisms. Approximately one third of the total cost of the development of a product (±150 million 1999) is spent on toxicology and environmental studies.
At the turn of the last century, Vine Sulphur dust was found to control the devastating powdery mildew on grapes.
Used at up to 20 kilograms a hectare it was extensively used for many years in the Cape winelands. Contact with this dust can cause extreme eye irritation, burning throat and other respiratory symptoms.
We have come a long way since then and well-researched products applied at a fraction of this rate give good pest control results with minimum effect on man and his environment.
Products used in crop protection today are generally increasingly safer to humans and the environment and this should be recognised.
This increasing emphasis on safety has been driven by the manufacturers’ own conscience and an ever watchful public eye.Malcolm Gordon
