Villagers stick to their rice crops, despite contamination

A survey carried out by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Thai Department of Agriculture, found cadmium in soil and farm plants in residential and farming areas to be 0.480.571 mg -or 0.2mg higher than standard levels.

The contaminated areas are Mae Tao, Mae Ku and Phra That Pha Daeng tambons in Mae Sot district. The contamination began five years ago after a zinc mine released toxic waste. Since then, villagers have reported experiencing kidney failure from which 38 have died.

While there is no medical proof the kidney failure and deaths were caused by cadmium, which itself is not a highly toxic substance, there have been no laws or legal sanctions imposed on the mine operation to require it to treat its waste before discharging it into water resources.

Even without the apparent effect on their health, the cadmium issue has effected the villagers financially. Rice grown on their farmlands has been ignored by rice mills and smalltime buyers, and the government pays a huge amount each year to buy up stocks from farmers.

The government has also invested Bt92 million in pollutioncontrol and other scientific measures to neutralise the cadmium, but contamination is still detected.

Local authorities have offered alternative crops and plants for villagers, but many still stick to rice. "Growing rice is our way of life. Even if we grow other plants, we need to sell them to get money to buy rice to eat. So we may as well grow rice for ourselves," said Bunpan Lanoi, a former kamnan of Mae Tao.

A community leader, Phloenjai Lertlakkhanawong, said adapting plants for new crops was not easy, and when rice prices rose, villagers turned back to growing rice again.

 "The rice grown in the areas goes nowhere but is circulated among the villagers, as a token for money, or consumed by them, because no outsiders will buy or eat rice grown here," she added.

Cadmium levels in villagers' blood are higher than common, which can lead to gradual bone damage and kidney failure, she said. "But both symptoms can be caused by other factors and no solid medical proof that cadmium is the main risk factor is available to us," she added.

In a series of tests of villagers' blood and urine since 2002, 884 people out of 7,730 in 13 villages had high cadmium levels. And of 800 people further examined, 40 had terminal kidney failure - of whom 38 have now died and 219 had experienced early stages of kidney failure. Another 44 could not be reached.