Small doses - Pesticides News No.28

Household spray cancer link
A study by the Social Ministry in Hanover, Germany, has suggested a link between cancer and household pyrethroid insecticides. Tests carried out on 623 cancer patients linked more than 20% of leukaemia cases in women and 10% in men with these insecticides. The figures were slightly lower for lymphoid cancer. Cases of multiple chemical sensitivity apparently caused by insecticide use were also discovered. The results have prompted further government investigations. "Consumers should keep use as low as possible" said a spokesman for the Federal Institute of Public Health (BGVV).

Agrow 31/3/95 and pers. comm. Bundesinstitut für gesundhelitllchen Verbrauchershutz und Veterinärmedizin (BGVV).

Aerosol inerts active
Research in the US has suggested concern over the inert ingredients of some household products. Symptoms such as nausea, headaches and irritation, which are sometimes reported by consumers after home treatment, may be due to 'inert' ingredients rather than the pesticide active ingredients, according to researchers at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
    Emulsifiers and propellants often constitute 95% of indoor sprays. They include xylene, kerosene and other solvents, which tend to become air-borne and stay there longer than the heavier pesticides. Without ventilation, the 24-hour concentration of these solvents exceedes the 25 mg per cubic metre of air that can cause irritation, headaches and other problems. The researchers noted that few indoor insecticide labels recommended ventilation or even suggest how long to stay out of treated premises.

Science News 18/3/95 and Environmental Science & Technology March 1995.

Gulf war syndrome
Research in the US on animals suggests that a mixture of anti-nerve gas drugs and insect repellents caused Gulf war syndrome (GWS). The syndrome has affected 50,000 troops causing symptoms such as kidney malfunctions, joint pain and immune system deficiencies.
    One study at Duke University in North Carolina involved dosing hens with pyridostigmine, the OP given to Gulf troops, both on its own and with several insecticides. None of the compounds had any effect on their own, but together, neurotoxic esterase, a brain tissue enzyme, seems to be inhibited. The result was nerve damage, causing leg weakness, tremors, muscle spasms and fatigue-all symptoms of GWS. The US government denies that this chemical mix is the cause of GWS. As yet, no Gulf veterans have been tested to confirm the results from animal experiments.

Chemistry & Industry 1/5/95.

OP/BSE link put to the test
Scientists at the Medical Research Council will test a theory that bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is linked to exposure to OP chemicals. Mark Purdey, a dairy farmer who originally put the idea forward, said the go-ahead would involve a preliminary trial testing whether normal prion protein present in animals can be deformed by OP exposure. Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) research has already shown that abnormal forms of this protein are a unique feature of all transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including BSE. Mr Purdey had previously been told by MAFF experts that the trial, which takes a few minutes to do and costs about £600, was impossible to carry out.

Farmers Weekly 28/4/95.

EPA fines DowElanco
The EPA has fined DowElanco US$732,000 for failing to report information on adverse health effects associated with its insecticide chlorpyrifos, marketed as Dursban. The issue came to light when the EPA provided information for a CBS news programme. Meanwhile the programme found additional incidents. It appears that DowElanco had been selectively reporting cases to the EPA.
    "The public should not have to rely on the media to ensure compliance with the law", said Jay Feldman of the National Campaign Against the Misuse of Pesticides, in Washington.

Corporate Crime Reporter 8 /5/95.                                                        

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 28, June 1995, page 27]