0
0
The combustion of sugarcane and rice husks could be releasing a hazardous substance leading to an enigmatic kidney ailment in agricultural laborers, as per a study published today in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
A persistent outbreak of chronic kidney disease has been observed among manual workers in warm farming communities worldwide, including areas along the Pacific coast of Central America, India, and Sri Lanka. While elevated temperatures and climate alterations have played a role in this epidemic, scientists have pinpointed minuscule silica particles released from burning sugarcane ash, which can be inhaled or consumed through contaminated drinking water, as culprits in causing chronic kidney harm.
Jared Brown, PhD, a professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and one of the senior authors, remarked, “To date, there are no studies we are aware of that have identified a toxicant that can cause chronic kidney disease which is actually present in kidney tissues of patients suffering from this unknown disease. These data provide an important clue to the mystery and suggests that in addition to heat stress from climate change that toxicants from sugarcane ash could be contributing to the disease.”
The study suggests that the disease may result from exposure to sugarcane ash, which contains amorphous silica nanoparticles. This process may also be linked to individuals working in rice paddies, as the burning of rice paddies, which is also commonly practiced, can lead to the release of ash containing silica.
Richard Johnson, MD, a professor at CU School of Medicine and one of the senior authors, stated, “While this data is preliminary, we can determine that the burning of sugarcane may not only be contributing to climate change, but it may have a role in the epidemic that has been affecting agricultural workers. This disease is identified as one of the first newly recognized diseases resulting specifically from a warming climate. Now we know toxicants are also involved. Hopefully this work will spur efforts to focus on sugarcane burning as a potential risk factor for the development of this mysterious kidney disease in workers and people who live adjacent to sugarcane fields.”
