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Synthetic fertilizers used in farming can trigger diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, government scientists have found. The scientists, from the nanoscience and water research unit of the central government’s department of science and technology, found a close link between toxic heavy metals used in fertilizers and the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases among farmers. The government funded research was carried out in a village in Tamil Nadu on around 900 people whose urine samples were tested. The health ministry has been running screening programs in rural areas to get to the bottom of the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases in these areas. The phase one results of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INDIAB (India diabetes) study have also shown that the prevalence of non communicable diseases is higher in both urban and rural areas of India compared to earlier studies.