Egyptian authorities have seized and destroyed 10 tons of potatoes polluted with carcinogens, the daily Al Messa said.
According to the paper on Monday, the department of supplies intelligence in the Dagahliyya district had received a tip that there was an amount of contaminated potatoes in Al Mansoura wholesale market. A probe was launched and investigations led to arrest of five wholesalers and the seizure of the harmful foodstuff.
Lab results showed that the potatoes were polluted with D.D.T, an internationally prohibited pesticide.
According to Life Extension Magazine in 1997, the pesticides DDT, and the PCBs have been linked to the malformation of sex organs in wildlife, and possibly in humans. These chemicals are among the so-called "estrogen-mimickers." They have been associated with breast cancer, testicular cancer, undescended testicles, prostate cancer and other maladies.
The report said that although DDT was banned more than 25 years ago, it is still being manufactured and "spilled" into the environment. In addition, it remains in the body indefinitely, and researchers are discovering that the children of women exposed to DDT decades ago can be affected by it years later -- Albawaba.com
