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Lead pigment in turmeric is the culprit in a global poisoning mystery (2024)

(www.npr.org)
351 points perihelions | 4 comments | 11 Jul 25 15:33 UTC | HN request time: 0.675s | source
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infinitifall ◴[11 Jul 25 18:46 UTC] No.44535649[source]▶
I'm put off by how this is framed as a detective story. Pesticides that contain heavy metals and other carcinogens are a well known issue, with India (and South Asia more generally) being the worst affected.

> You'll never guess the culprit

Not knowing about turmeric comes off as deeply ignorant when a billion people consume it as part of their daily diet.

> They don't know that this is harmful for human health

Let me assure you that they absolutely do and they couldn't care less. This also makes it seem like poor clueless farmers are to blame while mega-corporations that process, package, market and distribute these spices are never given even a passing mention!

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1. rayiner ◴[11 Jul 25 19:45 UTC] No.44536157[source]▶
Of course they know. But human life has very little value in Bangladesh. You’re socialized to desensitize yourself to it.
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2. kragen ◴[11 Jul 25 19:52 UTC] No.44536225[source]▶
Your family is from Bangladesh, aren't they?
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3. ◴[11 Jul 25 20:43 UTC] No.44536611[source]▶
4. rayiner ◴[11 Jul 25 21:59 UTC] No.44537185[source]▶
Yes. I lived there until I was five. Even at that age you learn not to see other people as human. You kind of have to—people do things like cut off kids’ hands to make them more effective at begging.[1] You walk through the street with amputees coming up to you.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jul/31/india.randeepr...