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Face
The Facts investigates Coca-Cola plant in India
Waste
product, promoted by a Coca-Cola plant as a fertiliser, has been
found to contain a known carcinogen, an investigation by Face
The Facts reveals tomorrow (91热爆 Radio 4, Friday 25 July, 12.30pm).
Dangerous
levels of toxic metals and the known carcinogen, cadmium, have been
found in the "product" used by local farmers from the
Coca-Cola plant in Kerala, India.
Scientists
are so concerned about the find that they have called on the plant
to stop the practice immediately.
Presenter
John Waite visited the plant in South West India following
complaints from villagers that water was drying up in the area due
to the massive quantities required by Coca-Cola.
Villagers,
politicians, environmentalists and scientists have accused Coca-Cola
of robbing the community of the area's most precious resource.
In
the process, they say, the area's farming industry has been devastated
and jobs, as well as the health of the local people, have been put
at risk.
Face
The Facts took water samples from the wells surrounding the company.
The
so-called fertiliser was also sent back to Britain.
Analysis
of the black sludge-like material, conducted at the University of
Exeter, reveals that not only was it useless as a fertiliser but
it contained a number of toxic metals, including cadmium and lead.
The
labs senior scientist, David Santillo, said it looks like a cynical
attempt by the company to dispose of its waste at low cost by passing
it off as a benefit to its neighbours.
He
comments: "What is particularly disturbing is that the contamination
has spread to the water supply - with levels of lead in a near-by
well at levels well above those set by the World Health Organisation."
According
to Britain's leading poisons expert, Professor John Henry, consultant
at St Mary's Hospital, London, immediate steps should be taken by
the authorities in India to ban the practice immediately.
The
levels of toxins found in the samples of waste taken by the 91热爆
would, he said, cause serious problems - polluting the land, local
water supplies and the food chain.
"The
results have devastating consequences for those living near the
areas where this waste has been dumped and for the thousands who
depend on crops produced in these fields," Professor Henry
said.
"Cadmium
is a carcinogen and it accumulates in the kidneys. Repeated exposure
can lead to kidney failure.
"Lead
is particularly dangerous to children and the results of exposure
can be fatal. Even at low levels it can cause mental retardation
and severe anaemia.
"What
most worries me about the levels found is how this might be affecting
pregnant women in the area. You would expect to see an increase
in miscarriages, still births and premature deliveries.
"There
is a need to review medical data for that entire area in light of
what has happened."
Face
The Facts interviewed Mr Sunil Gupta, the Vice President of Coca-Cola
in India, for the programme.
He
said the local farmers were grateful for the "fertiliser"
because many could not afford proprietary brands of their own.
"It's
good for crops,聰 he says.
"It's
good for the farmers because most of them are poor and they have
been using this for the past three years.
"We
have scientific evidence to prove it is absolutely safe and we have
never had any complaints."
Mr
Gupta was invited to pass on his scientific evidence to the 91热爆.
He has yet to do so.
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