Latest research studies say that some pesticides increase the risk of cancer akin to smoking in Indian farmers. The study conducted at the Rocky Vista University in the United States of America found out that 69 pesticides including four commonly used ones in India are directly responsible for the country’s rising cancer rates. The research report published in the Journal of Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society says that continuous exposure to pesticides may be the cause of non – non-Hodgkins lymphoma, leukaemia and prostate cancer. 2, 4 – D, Asaphite, metolachlor and methomyl that are mentioned in the list are extensively used in India for agriculture.
The study was conducted using the data collected by the National Institute of Health and Centre for Disease Control, from 2015 to 2019. Meanwhile, the researchers noted that the risk of cancer may change depending upon the kind of produce that is grown in various regions. For instance, they observed that the risk of all kinds of cancer is high in the western parts of the US where fruits and vegetables are mostly grown.
