PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 5:56 PM by Luigi

How Safe Are Crops Grown in Wetlands?

This article is from Uganda, but it concerns crops of importance to the Pacific too. Cocoyam is either taro or Xanthosoma. From New Vision (Kampala), by John Kasozi.

MOST food crops grown in urban wetlands absorb a number of pollutants. This is especially so with sweet potatoes and cocoyams.

Recent research undertaken by leading East African scientists under the Lake Victoria Research Initiative of the Inter-university Council of East Africa raises the need for serious attention to possible effects of lead and cadmium on human health.

"The sweet potato is a source of carbohydrates for poor urban dwellers in East Africa. If it is grown in wetlands, there is a possibility for it to take up lead from burning leaded petrol and flaking leaded house paints," says James Nsumba, an agronomist. According to the research, cocoyam was found to be three times more resilience than sweet potato, surviving even at 800 particles per million (lead). All sweet potato varieties experimented had succumbed.

Cocoyam is well known for its tolerance to heavy metals and was included in the study for comparison purpose.

Nsumba, Finster Grey et al, in their 2003 Field Survey Science Total Environmental journal reported that metals pose greater risks to children since they absorb between 30 and 75% of the metal in what they eat, whereas adults absorb only about 11%. Lead, even ingested at low concentrations, is associated with impaired brain development, balance problems, heightened risk of tooth decay, hearing loss and shortened stature among children.

In adults it leads to tiredness, loss of appetite, reduced libido in men and the risk of high blood pressure.

In December 2003, a story by the Nairobi-based Daily Nation newspaper about high concentrations of lead in the sukumawiki (kale) sold in Nairobi sparked mixed reactions from the public.

The story from the 2003 United Nations Environment Programme report, stated that the Nairobi sukumawiki contained 5,000 microgrammes of lead per kilo, which is above the World Health Organisation recommended standard of 300.



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This article is from Uganda, but it concerns crops of importance to the Pacific too. Cocoyam is either taro or Xanthosoma. From New Vision (Kampala), by John Kasozi. MOST food crops grown in urban wetlands absorb a number of pollutants. This is especially so with sweet potatoes and cocoyams. Recent research undertaken by leading East African scientists under the Lake Victoria Research Initiative of the Inter-university Council of East Africa raises the need for serious attention to possible effects of lead and cadmium on human health. "The sweet potato is a source of carbohydrates for poor urban dwellers in East Africa. If it is grown in wetlands, there is a possibility for it to take up lead from burning leaded petrol and flaking leaded house paints," says James Nsumba, an agronomist. According to the research, cocoyam was found to be three times more resilience than sweet potato, surviving even at 800 particles per million (lead). All sweet potato varieties experimented had succumbed. Cocoyam is well known for its tolerance to heavy metals and was included in the study for comparison purpose. Nsumba, Finster Grey et al, in their 2003 Field Survey Science Total Environmental journal reported that metals pose greater risks to children since they absorb between 30 and 75% of the metal in what they eat, whereas adults absorb only about 11%. Lead, even ingested at low concentrations, is associated with impaired brain development, balance problems, heightened risk of tooth decay, hearing loss and shortened stature among children. In adults it leads to tiredness, loss of appetite, reduced libido in men and the risk of high blood pressure. In December 2003, a story by the Nairobi-based Daily Nation newspaper about high concentrations of lead in the sukumawiki (kale) sold in Nairobi sparked mixed reactions from the public. The story from the 2003 United Nations Environment Programme report, stated that the Nairobi sukumawiki contained 5,000 microgrammes of lead per kilo, which is above the World Health Organisation recommended standard of 300. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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