Mar 17, Colombo: A team of Sri Lankan experts have found during a study that over 200,000 people have currently been identified to be suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

The study conducted by a team from the Kelaniya University led by Professor Priyani Paranagama had reportedly found that at least two persons died everyday due to kidney failure.

Secretary of the Patriotic National Front Dr. Wasantha Bandara has told the media that pesticides once brought into the country are adulterated with arsenic in order to make additional profits and that the samples clearly indicated that the amount of arsenic found in the adulterated pesticides and fertilizers was far higher than when it was imported.

CKD has mainly affected the people of the North Central, Eastern, North Western and Uva Provinces where most paddy lands are located.

Studies have reportedly found that in the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Badulla districts around 15% of the total population (around 200,000) between the ages of 15 to 70 are suffering from CKD.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted a separate study to ascertain the cause of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology (CKDU) in certain areas.

The final report by the WHO titled 'Investigation and Evaluation of 'Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology in Sri Lanka' has highlighted that CKDU is being identified as a slowly progressive disease, probably starting in the second decade of life, and does not manifest itself until it reaches a very advanced state.

The WHO permissible limit of Arsenic for drinking water is 0.01 mg/L and the FAO permissible limit of Arsenic for irrigation water is 0.10 mg/L. However in most of the water samples taken from the affected areas the detected level of arsenic had been 20 – 100 Μg/L.