Meat lovers at bigger risk, say experts

If you thought pesticide poisoning was only present in vegetables and hence only a problem for vegetarians, think again. Experts say pesticide poisoning is far more dangerous in meat.

At each step of the food chain, concentration and therefore the toxicity of pesticides or other chemicals magnifies. Eating a chicken which has consumed pesticide-ridden grain is more dangerous than eating the same grain directly, say ecologists.“When a farmer sprays pesticide, each plant receives only a small portion of it. But when a cow or a goat eats a large amount of the plant, concentration of pesticides in them increases,“ said V Arun, an ecologist. Most pesticides used now, called persistentorganic pesticides (POP), contain chemicals like mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls which are sparingly soluble in water. “They are more easily absorbed by animals and humans than plants,“ said Arun. As POPs pass through cell membranes, they are trapped by lipids in body which cannot fully metabolize and excrete them. Over time, they accumulate and result in health hazards.