Just over the mountain

Isn't this town just over the mountain and where the lake starts?

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/kidney-failure-cases-probed-in-jalisco/?utm_source=fb&utm_campaign=kidney-failure-poncitlan

It's along the La Barca highway, south of lakeside. Pretty town..

Kiri wrote:It's along the La Barca highway, south of lakeside. Pretty town..

I've been there, I think they make furniture there.

It's the municipality they are referring to, which would include the pueblo.

Google Maps:

Poncitlan

Yes, the Municipio de Poncitlan includes the villages of San Juan Tecomatlan east to San Pedro on the shore of the lake and over to the Rio Santiago in Ocotlan. Mezcala is in the Municipality and there has been a number of kidney issues in young men there (one of them I personally know). His older brother died from kidney failure in his early 20's.

Very sad story, Ezzie.
So, it's fair to say that Lake Chapala, the Rio Santiago, and probably the Rio Lerma are loaded with toxic agro chemicals and heavy metals. Question is how do they get in the system of this population. Is it from using these resources as drinking water or swimming in these bodies of water?

Possibly eating the fish from the Lake?

I take care of a couple of drilled wells in the Municipality (near San Juan Tecomatlan) and in conjunction with Agua Jalisco (CEA) we are required to do a full spectrum water analysis at least once every two years.  So far have found nothing in the subterranean supply (about 85 mtrs. down) that is cause for alarm so possibly there are ground water issues as you suggest (rivers, lake)?

The testing we do checks for heavy metals but not for toxic chemicals such as pesticides. It is not normally done since it is very costly and water samples have to be taken and sent to Mexico City for analysis.  I would speculate that not much of this has been done by the small municipalities but I don't know for certain.

Hmm. Yes, could be that eating the fish from the lake would contribute to this.

Also, I think the very poor who cannot afford to buy drinking water use lake/river water. Whether or not they know to boil it is a question but there are a couple of other issues as well. Would boiling drinking water eliminate toxic chemicals or heavy metals? I think not. Also, since most of that population don't have stoves and use wood for cooking - and wood is often in short supply around here - I'm betting they may not boil the water anyway.

If you are in touch with this population, do you know how they live regarding drinking water, bathing, and swimming in the lake/rivers?

Specialist have been doing field research in the area for two years and have yet to reach any conclusions. However, according to this article: "Industrial pollution in rivers and creeks in the greater Chapala and Santiago aquifers has been cited as a possible cause, as well as the agrochemicals and pesticides used on local farms."

The authorities that I read about DON'T attribute the kidney problems to community drinking water.

duplicate

Has the soil been tested?

Renal failure among young men in their prime, in poor agriculture communities is a world wide epidemic with unknown etiology at this point - India, Sri Lanka, Africa.. There are some researchers who believe that chronic dehydration (not drinking water while working in the hot sun) and use of painkillers (probably tylenol) may be implicated. Uric acid crystals were very concentrated upon testing, maybe damaging kidney tissue somehow. Post mortem kidneys were quite shrunken in size. If the community had dip sticks to detect protein in the urine, earlier testing & diagnosis could occur, altho then lifelong dialysis. However, if simply drinking water while working during the day (not coca cola..) having personal water canisters & good water on job sites might be a starting point to see if incidence in this community could be reduced. Perhaps a project supported by the gringo community..like the mosquito net & girl moon cycle projects.

A terrific idea, thanks for posting.

So, they have ruled out toxic chemicals and metals?

Trailrunner wrote:A terrific idea, thanks for posting.

So, they have ruled out toxic chemicals and metals?

No, in the video they state there are heavy metals in the river. They also stated people boil their water but that only kills bacteria and not the arsenic. Whatever else is in the water was not mentioned.

Todd Stong categorically states the Kidney problems in local villages is caused from polluted well water.

The lake water has acceptable levels of metals and other contaminates.  

I would bow to his judgement.

SunFan