Consumption of crops grown close to highways shortens life span – expert

farm

A Professor of analytical chemistry with the Ajayi Crowther University, George Olufemi Adediran, has cautioned those who form the habits of farming very close to highways to desist, as such farm products, if consumed is injurious to health and may shorten human life span.


Adediran in his fourth inaugural lecture organized by the institution said unknown to the farmers, many vehicles plying the major highways burn fuel tha4 contains lead added in form of tetraethyl lead.
Lead, he stated improves the octane number of fuel and fumes is emitted after combustion.

“The fumes are deposited on the leaves, stem, crops and soil. This eventually finds its way into the human body when crops grown close to the highways are eaten. The cumulative effect over the years may result into life expectantly been made short.

He warned against farming that is twenty metres close to highways, adding that this common practice nowadays, probably to reduce transportation cost during harvesting should be discontinued.

Adediran, who is the Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences of the institution, further asserted that various discharges such as used engine oil, used battery and its contents, as well as released and abandoned paints by motor mechanics, panel beaters, battery chargers and painters, revealed, through research, partial or total wiping out of plants and even earthworms.

“All these technicians co-habit the ecosystem. This ecosystem was found to be very acidic, for any beneficial micro-organism to live in the run-off water during the rainy season was very acidic and contains plenty of heavy metals. They all find their way into aquatics. “

He advised the technicians to move their workshops to the outskirt of the towns and cities and desist from polluting the ecosystem through careless discharges of waste materials.