Most studies on endosulfan impact superficial: scientist

Scientist Sathees Raghavan, whose study has found correlation between exposure to endosulfan and male infertility, says most of the studies on the effect of endosulfan on the people exposed to it in Kasaragod are superficial and circumstantial.

“Lots of studies are there on endosulfan problem, but the point is most of these are superficial,” Prof. Raghavan from the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and author of a recently published paper on the research on endosulfan impact, said at a face-to-face programme organised by the Press Club here on Wednesday. He is a native of Velloor, near Payyannur.

Explaining the research findings, he said the study was done partly because of a desire for an in-depth study which is not sponsored by groups opposing and supporting the use of the pesticide. “When you look at those existing studies, there is no direct correlation and many things are circumstantial,” he said in response to a question. It does not make any sense to say that all the diseases and disorders found among people in the affected areas are because of endosulfan, he stated. The toxicity part of endosulfan was already proved, he said adding their study looked at how the pesticide acts and where it acts.

Prof. Raghavan, however, said the doses of endosulfan used on rats for their study are much less than what is found in the areas where people got exposed to it, that too continuously. So the impact could be more for people living in those areas, he said.

“What we are using is four doses of 3 milligram per kg body weight, which will give around 20 to 70 microgram per litre inside plasma concentration,” he said noting that it is much less than what is reported from the affected areas. His study found that that sperm count in exposed rats is significantly reduced and that 30 to 33 per cent of male rats are infertile.

To a question on Nobel laureate Venkataraman Ramakrishnan’s observation in a recent interview that homeopathy and astrology are bogus, Prof. Raghavan said that just calling something bogus was not enough unless there is a detailed study. Any treatment, whether Ayurveda medicines or chemotherapy or radiotherapy may not work for some patients, he said. Alternative medicines like homeopathy have some effect, he said calling for scientific research on that.