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Glyphosate, Hard Water and Nephrotoxic Metals: Are They the Culprits Behind the Epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Sri Lanka?

Author

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  • Channa Jayasumana

    (Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Rajarata University, Anuradhapura 50008, Sri Lanka
    Health Science Department, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA)

  • Sarath Gunatilake

    (Health Science Department, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Priyantha Senanayake

    (Hela Suwaya Organization, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

The current chronic kidney disease epidemic, the major health issue in the rice paddy farming areas in Sri Lanka has been the subject of many scientific and political debates over the last decade. Although there is no agreement among scientists about the etiology of the disease, a majority of them has concluded that this is a toxic nephropathy. None of the hypotheses put forward so far could explain coherently the totality of clinical, biochemical, histopathological findings, and the unique geographical distribution of the disease and its appearance in the mid-1990s. A strong association between the consumption of hard water and the occurrence of this special kidney disease has been observed, but the relationship has not been explained consistently. Here, we have hypothesized the association of using glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the disease endemic area and its unique metal chelating properties. The possible role played by glyphosate-metal complexes in this epidemic has not been given any serious consideration by investigators for the last two decades. Furthermore, it may explain similar kidney disease epidemics observed in Andra Pradesh (India) and Central America. Although glyphosate alone does not cause an epidemic of chronic kidney disease, it seems to have acquired the ability to destroy the renal tissues of thousands of farmers when it forms complexes with a localized geo environmental factor (hardness) and nephrotoxic metals.

Suggested Citation

  • Channa Jayasumana & Sarath Gunatilake & Priyantha Senanayake, 2014. "Glyphosate, Hard Water and Nephrotoxic Metals: Are They the Culprits Behind the Epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Sri Lanka?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-23, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:2:p:2125-2147:d:33167
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wesseling, C. & Crowe, J. & Hogstedt, C. & Jakobsson, K. & Lucas, R. & Wegman, D.H., 2013. "The epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Mesoamerica: A call for interdisciplinary research and action," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(11), pages 1927-1930.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sarath Gunatilake & Stephanie Seneff & Laura Orlando, 2019. "Glyphosate’s Synergistic Toxicity in Combination with Other Factors as a Cause of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-26, July.
    2. Jaime Rendon-von Osten & Ricardo Dzul-Caamal, 2017. "Glyphosate Residues in Groundwater, Drinking Water and Urine of Subsistence Farmers from Intensive Agriculture Localities: A Survey in Hopelchén, Campeche, Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Hasnain Iftikhar & Murad Khan & Zardad Khan & Faridoon Khan & Huda M Alshanbari & Zubair Ahmad, 2023. "A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models: A Case Study in Predicting Chronic Kidney Disease," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Kuan Y. Chang & I-Wen Wu & Bo-Ruei Huang & Jih-Gau Juang & Jia-Chyi Wu & Su-Wei Chang & Chung Cheng Chang, 2018. "Associations between Water Quality Measures and Chronic Kidney Disease Prevalence in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, December.
    5. I. D. U. H. Piyathilake & J. L. P. C. Randika & R. M. K. T. Rathnayaka & E. P. N. Udayakumara & L. V. Ranaweera & S. K. Gunatilake & C. B. Dissanayake, 2022. "Socio-economic determinants of Chronic Kidney Diseases of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in the Uva Province, Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(4), pages 782-793, December.
    6. Hansani Madushika Abeywickrama & Swarna Wimalasiri & Yu Koyama & Mieko Uchiyama & Utako Shimizu & Nahoko Kakihara & Rohana Chandrajith & Nishantha Nanayakkara, 2020. "Quality of Life and Symptom Burden among Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology (CKDu) Patients in Girandurukotte, Sri Lanka," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, June.
    7. Cecilia J. Sorensen & Lyndsay Krisher & Jaime Butler-Dawson & Miranda Dally & Lynn Dexter & Claudia Asensio & Alex Cruz & Lee S. Newman, 2020. "Workplace Screening Identifies Clinically Significant and Potentially Reversible Kidney Injury in Heat-Exposed Sugarcane Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-17, November.
    8. Joshua W. Schaeffer & John L. Adgate & Stephen J. Reynolds & Jaime Butler-Dawson & Lyndsay Krisher & Miranda Dally & Richard J. Johnson & Katherine A. James & Diana Jaramillo & Lee S. Newman, 2020. "A Pilot Study to Assess Inhalation Exposures among Sugarcane Workers in Guatemala: Implications for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-15, August.

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