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FW: Acute Pesticide-Related Illness, FL Medfly Eradication
Dennis,
Thanks for the malathion information. I am passing it along to others.
As I calculate the human risk from the Florida malathion information below,
if there are 9 cases of probable or possible medical side effects
per 10,000, as I have highlighted in the NOTE below (equivalent to
900 per million), for the New York City population of 7 million there
should be approximately 6,300 such medical side effects. I wonder how many
reports came to doctors, hospitals, clinics, and to the Mayor's Hotline?
The City Hall hearing on the citywide spraying noted that there were
over 130,000 calls, as I remember, to the Hotline during its early operation,
the largest number of calls of any city Hotline ever. I wonder how good records
were kept, if any, of possible or probable reported side effects? And who has
accumulated the medical information from all medical reporting sources
in the City of New York so far? We were shocked by the report that there were
possible teratological effects from malathion, causing gastrointestinal birth
defects in babies born from women in their second trimester of pregnancy at the
time of the spraying. As I calculate it, these birth defects should start
showing up in December of this year 1999 or January of 2000. We formally
asked the USEPA to look into this and to set up a screening of birth defects in
New York City using data from births prior to the spraying as a baseline.
So far they responded on November 3 that "we are referring the matter to both
the Office of Childen's Health Protection and the Office of Pesticide Programs
in our EPA Headquarters, for further consideration."
Irwin Berlin, M.D., Head of Pulmonary Care at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in
Elizabeth, NJ, who lives in New York City, appeared on the panel with me at the
City Hall hearing. He noted that the expected US asthma rate of 5 percent would
indicate there are at least 300,000 people in New York City with asthma, and that
these people in particular were very vulnerable to chemical spraying, far more than
the 47 or so cases of West Nile like disease. Unfortunately, statistics on
asthma incidence or asthma deaths are not accumulated in our health care system,
but should be.
Joe Parrish, NY/NJ Environmental Watch, c/o St. John's Church,
61 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201, and 300 E. 56th Street, New York, NY 10022
November 13, 1999
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: "Dennis W. Schvejda", INTERNET:dschvejda@igc.org
TO: Joe Parrish, JoeParrish
DATE: 11/12/99 10:04 PM
RE: FW: Acute Pesticide-Related Illness, FL Medfly Eradication
Joe,
You most likely have this... but just in case...
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Pesticide Forum
[mailto:CONS-EQST-PESTICIDE-FORUM@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG] On Behalf Of
Arizona Toxics Information
Sent: Friday, November 12, 1999 9:46 PM
To: CONS-EQST-PESTICIDE-FORUM@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG
Subject: Fwd: Acute Pesticide-Related Illness, FL Medfly Eradication
>Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 17:20:07 -0600
>To: lookusup@bigsky.net, info@ewg.org, pec@pesticides.org, pec@igc.apc.org,
> info@pesticide.org, ccox@pesticide.org, ngrier@pesticide.org,
> polly@pesticide.org, pestinform@onenw.org, ncamp@ncamp.org,
> panna@panna.org, info@ocia.org, pests@igc.org, nycap@crisny.org,
> aztoxics@igc.apc.org, pestiwatch@igc.apc.org, mothers@mothers.org,
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> Dan.Ford@columbialegal.org,
> jhamilton@nrdc.org, nancy@checnet.org
>From: ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)
>Subject: Acute Pesticide-Related Illness, FL Medfly Eradication
>
>
> November 12, 1999 / 48(44);1015-1018,1027
>
>Surveillance for Acute Pesticide-Related Illness During the Medfly
>Eradication Program -- Florida, 1998
>
>The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) (Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann) is an
>exotic insect that
>can damage approximately 250 fruit and vegetable plant species and is a
>serious threat to
>domestic agriculture. During the spring and summer of 1998, pesticides were
>used by federal
>and state agriculture authorities to eradicate Medfly infestations that had
>been detected in
>portions of five Florida counties (Table 1). This report summarizes
>surveillance data,
>describes probable and possible cases of illness associated with the
>eradication effort, and
>provides recommendations for future Medfly-eradication programs.
>
>The Medfly Eradication Program began on April 4, 1998, with ground
>applications of
>malathion/bait* and diazinon, followed by aerial malathion/bait application
>that began on
>April 30. All insecticide applications were completed on September 6. The
>respective county
>health departments estimated that 132,000 persons resided in the areas
>treated with these
>pesticides.
>
>Surveillance for Illness
>
>Reports of potential adverse health effects attributed to the Medfly
>Eradication Program
>pesticide applications were solicited by state health and agriculture
>authorities and collected
>through telephone hotlines maintained by the Florida Poison Information
>Network and county
>health departments. The public was advised of the pesticide use and the
>hotline number
>through public meetings hosted by federal and state agriculture department
>officials, news
>articles, and radio and television reports. During April 30-September 30,
>1998, 230 reports of
>illness were received from Florida residents and physicians and were
>investigated by the
>Florida Department of Health. Reports were classified according to a
>standard case
>classification system.** Of the 230 reports, 34 (15%) cases were classified
>as probable
>pesticide-related illness based on abnormal medical signs compatible with
>malathion/bait or
>diazinon toxicity observed by a licensed health-care professional, and 89
>(39%) were
>classified as possible based on symptoms compatible with malathion/bait or
>diazinon toxicity
>reported to health-care providers or a state health authority. Of the
>remaining 107 (47%), 24
>were excluded because of insufficient information, 32 were asymptomatic or
>had symptoms
>unrelated to exposure, and 51 were classified as unlikely. No reports were
>classified as
>definite cases of pesticide-related illness because this category requires
>confirmation by
>laboratory testing of clinical or environmental samples that were not
>available.
>
[NOTE RATE OF PROBABLE OF POSSIBLE CASES OF PESTICIDE ILLNESS 9 PER 10,000:]
>The 123 probable or possible cases represent a crude rate of nine cases per
>10,000 residents
>in the exposed areas. Of the 123, 89 (72%) occurred in females; the median
>age was 46.5 years
>(range: 6 months-82 years). Eight reports (7%) involved children aged less
>than or equal to 5
>years, and 20 (16%) involved persons aged greater than or equal to 65
>years. Four reports (3%)
>described persons whose illnesses were considered work-related (i.e.,
>Medfly Eradication
>Program pesticide applicator, lawn-care worker, health department hotline
>worker, and hotel
>worker).
>
>Among the 123 cases, signs and symptoms for 87 (71%) were respiratory
>(e.g., dyspnea,
>wheezing, coughing, and upper respiratory tract pain/irritation); 77 (63%)
>involved the
>gastrointestinal system (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, melena, and
>abdominal cramping); 74
>(60%) involved the neurologic system (e.g., headache, vertigo, ataxia,
>peripheral paresthesia,
>disorientation, and confusion); 28 (23%) involved the skin (e.g., erythema
>[with or without
>maculopapular rash], pruritis, and burning sensations); and 23 (19%)
>involved the eyes (e.g.,
>lacrimation, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and blurred vision)***.
>
>Case Reports
>
>Case 1. A 49-year-old man experienced dyspnea, upper respiratory
>irritation, and headache
>after being exposed to aerial malathion/bait applications while working on
>the roof of his
>house. His physician diagnosed severe bronchitis and reported that the
>illness probably
>resulted from malathion/bait exposure.
>
>Case 2. A 31-year-old man reported a blistering rash over his arms, legs,
>and neck following
>an aerial application of malathion/bait. He was exposed to malathion/bait
>while conducting his
>lawn maintenance business. He reported that the rash developed where grass
>trimmings coated
>with pesticide stuck to his skin. His physician diagnosed allergic contact
>dermatitis secondary
>to malathion/bait exposure.
>
>Case 3. A 35-year-old man reported a pruritic rash on exposed skin
>surfaces. He had covered
>his pool in accordance with recommendations and was exposed to
>malathion/bait while
>removing the cover, which he had folded and carried under his right arm. He
>was not wearing a
>shirt, and the rash developed at those points where the pool cover had
>contacted his arm and
>torso. His physician diagnosed allergic dermatitis.
>
>Case 4. A 32-year-old woman with a history of asthma complained of multiple
>symptoms in
>reaction to ground applications of malathion/bait and diazinon in her
>neighborhood. Symptoms
>included nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, cough, upper respiratory
>irritation, dyspnea,
>wheezing, headache, and fatigue. Her physician diagnosed acute aggravation
>of asthma
>secondary to pesticide exposure from the Medfly Eradication Program.
>
>Reported by: O Shafey, PhD, HJ Sekereke, Jr, PhD, BJ Hughes, PhD, S Heber,
>DrPH, RG Hunter,
>PhD, RG Brooks, MD, Florida Dept of Health. Health Studies Br, Div of
>Environmental Hazards and
>Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health; Surveillance Br,
>Div of Surveillance,
>Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational
>Safety and Health,
>CDC.
>
>Editorial Note:
>
>The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies malathion as an acute
>toxicity category
>III compound****, and it is considered safer than many other
>organophosphates because it is
>rapidly detoxified by the body. Nevertheless, adverse health effects have
>been reported by
>persons exposed to malathion (1). Self-reported health effects previously
>associated with
>aerial spraying of malathion/bait include respiratory symptoms
>(particularly among persons
>with pre-existing respiratory conditions), gastrointestinal symptoms,
>neurologic symptoms,
>contact dermatitis, and conjunctivitis (2-4). These effects may represent
>irritant or allergic
>responses to either component of the malathion/bait formulation (5,6).
>Cholinesterase
>inhibition (3) or anxiety about aerial malathion/bait application (2,7)
>also may be responsible
>for some symptoms.
>
>The findings in this report suggest that for most persons, aerial
>application of malathion/bait
>does not pose an acute risk to health; however, at least 123 probable or
>possible
>pesticide-related cases of illness were associated with pesticide exposure.
>Each case-patient
>had signs and/or symptoms consistent with pesticide exposure, and illness
>probably resulted
>from sensitivity to the irritant/allergic effects of malathion/bait.
>Although ground
>application of diazinon, another acute toxicity category III
>organophosphate, was employed in
>some locations, this agent was considered less likely to be responsible for
>the observed health
>effects because it was used in only three counties, was applied focally
>(without aerial
>application), and was used in minimal quantities.
>
>The findings in this report are subject to at least three limitations.
>First, because this was a
>passive surveillance effort, persons may have become ill who did not seek
>medical attention or
>were not reported to the surveillance system. Second, rates of the health
>outcomes in the
>exposed population could not be compared with those for the general
>population because
>baseline incidence data for many of the effects attributed to the
>malathion/bait application
>are not available. Third, the role of cholinesterase inhibition was not
>determined because
>blood cholinesterase levels were not obtained.
>
>Certain malathion formulations are registered by EPA for aerial spraying
>over urban areas in
>mosquito-control programs. The use of malathion in these programs provides
>an important
>public health benefit by controlling mosquitoes that transmit human
>diseases such as
>encephalitis, dengue fever, and malaria. Spraying malathion/bait over urban
>populations for
>Medfly eradication has generated controversy in part because these
>applications are directed
>not at preventing human illness but at eradicating an agricultural pest.
>Federal law does not
>permit spraying malathion/bait over urban areas without an emergency EPA
>exemption*****.
>To reduce the risk for illness among persons sensitive to the effects of
>malathion/bait
>applications, federal and state agricultural authorities are encouraged to
>pursue and enhance
>alternative methods for Medfly control. These methods include preventing
>Medfly importation
>into the United States, quickly detecting Medfly infestations (e.g. through
>increased sentinel
>trapping densities), releasing sterile male Medflies to interrupt the
>reproductive cycle, and
>identifying and using safer eradication agents.
>
>During aerial malathion applications for mosquito control and Medfly
>eradication, the public
>should be advised to stay indoors and, when appropriate, persons with
>exposure-related health
>concerns should seek medical attention. The public also should be provided
>with an opportunity
>to ask questions and receive timely responses about the malathion
>applications (i.e., through
>telephone hotlines and community meetings). When malathion/bait
>applications are used for
>Medfly eradication, additional precautions are recommended, including
>immediately washing
>any skin surfaces that come into contact with malathion/bait-contaminated
>surfaces;
>providing advance public notification of spray schedules; performing aerial
>malathion/bait
>applications when residents are usually indoors (e.g., at night); directing
>the homeless to
>shelters; advising highly sensitive persons to leave the area during
>spraying; and convening a
>health advisory committee, an action that has been shown to be useful for
>mitigating risk (7).
>Medfly Eradication Program workers should be trained in the safe handling
>of pesticides, and
>consideration should be given to measuring plasma and red blood cell
>cholinesterase in these
>workers before beginning exposure and periodically thereafter (8). Workers
>should wear the
>personal protection equipment (PPE) listed on the pesticide label.
>Supplementary PPE also may
>be indicated.
>
>References
>
> 1.Blondell J. Epidemiology of pesticide poisonings in the United
>States, with special
> reference to occupational cases. Occup Med 1997;12:209-20.
> 2.Kahn E, Berlin M, Deane M, Jackson RJ, Stratton JW. Assessment of
>acute health effects
> from the Medfly Eradication Project in Santa Clara County,
>California. Arch Environ
> Health 1992; 47:279-84.
> 3.Book SA, Jackson RJ, Fan AM, DiBartolomeis MJ, Russell H. Health
>risk assessment of
> aerial application of malathion-bait. Berkeley, California:
>California Department of
> Health Services, 1991.
> 4.Kreutzer R, Harmon L, Hoshiko S. Citizen illness reports following
>February-May 1994
> aerial malathion applications in Corona and Norco, Riverside
>County, California.
> Emeryville, California: California Department of Health
Services,
>1996.
> 5.Schanker HM, Rachelefsky G, Siegel S, et al. Immediate and delayed
>type hypersensitivity
> to malathion. Ann Allergy 1992;69:526-8.
> 6.Sharma VK, Kaur S. Contact sensitization by pesticides in farmers.
>Contact Dermatitis
> 1990;23:77-80.
> 7.Kahn E, Jackson RJ, Lyman DO, Stratton JW. A crisis of community
>anxiety and mistrust:
> the Medfly eradication project in Santa Clara County,
California,
>1981-82. Am J Public
> Health 1990;80:1301-4.
> 8.California Environmental Protection Agency. Guidelines for
>physicians who supervise
> workers exposed to cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides. 3rd ed.
>Berkeley, California:
> California Environmental Protection Agency, 1995.
>
>* Malathion (Fyfanon[Registered] ULV, Cheminova Inc., Wayne, New Jersey)
>combined with a
>corn protein bait, Nu-Lure[Registered] (Miller Chemical and Fertilizer Co.,
>Hanover,
>Pennsylvania) was applied at a rate of 2.4 fluid ounces malathion and 9.6
>fluid ounces bait per
>acre per week. The reportedly nontoxic bait comprises hydrolyzed corn
>gluten meal and inert
>ingredients including corn syrup. Backpack sprayers or truck-mounted
>pressure sprayers were
>used for ground applications; UH-1 "Huey" helicopters and DC-3 aircraft
>conducted the aerial
>applications. (Use of trade names and commercial sources is for
>identification only and does
>not imply endorsement by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human
>Services.)
>
>** CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health classifies a
>case of acute
>pesticide-related illness and injury as being definite, probable, possible,
>or suspicious as
>determined by the level of certainty of exposure, whether health effects
>were observed by a
>health-care provider, and whether sufficient toxicologic information
>supports a causal
>relation between the exposure and the reported health effects. When
>toxicologic evidence for
>an exposure-health effect relation is not present, the case is classified
>as unlikely.
>
>*** Total is 289 cases because some persons experienced signs and symptoms
>in more than
>one system.
>
>**** EPA classifies pesticides into one of four acute toxicity categories
>based on established
>criteria (40 CFR Part 156). Pesticides with the greatest toxicity are in
>toxicity category I and
>those with the least are in category IV.
>
>***** 40 CFR Part 166.
>
>
>
>Table 1
>
>Note: To print large tables and graphs users may have to change their
>printer settings to landscape and use a small font
>size.
>
>TABLE 1. Number of gallons of malathion applied, number of square miles
>covered,
>estimated number of persons exposed, and number of persons adversely
affected
>in the Medfly Eradication Program, by county -- Florida, 1998
>
> County
> Dates of
> eradication
> effort
> Total
> malathion
> volume,
> excluding
> bait
> (gallons)*
>
>Total
>
>treatment
>
>area
>
>(square
>
>miles)
>
>Estimated
>
>exposed
>
>population
>
>Probable and
>
>possible
>
>cases
>
>of illness
> DadeÝ
> April 4-24
>
1.4
>
>0.08
>
>1,500
>
>0
> Lake/Marion§
> April 30-July
> 13
> 2,125.0
>
>35.20
>
>2,500
>
>11
> Manatee
> May 14-June
> 26
> 1,665.0
>
>50.00
>
>120,000
>
>103
> Highlands
> July 9-Sept 6
> 2,494.0
>
>42.50
>
>8,000
>
>9
> Total
>
> 6,285.4
>
>127.78
>
>132,000
>
>123
>
>
>*In addition, small amounts of diazinon, another organophosphate
>insecticide, were applied from the ground as a soil drench in Dade
>(0.04 gallon applied over 0.0001 square mile), Lake (0.3 gallon applied
>over 0.0007 square mile), and Manatee counties (0.1 gallon
>applied over 0.0003 square mile).
>Ý No aerial application of malathion/bait; ground application only.
>§ Aerial applications of malathion/bait in Lake County also included
>small portions of Marion County.
>
>
>Return to top.
>
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>Page converted: 11/10/1999
>
>
Michael Gregory
Arizona Toxics Information
PO Box 1896
Bisbee, Arizona 85603
(520) 432-5374
http://www.primenet.com/~aztoxic
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Sender: dschvejda@igc.org
From: "Dennis W. Schvejda" <dschvejda@igc.org>
To: <JoeParrish@compuserve.com>
Subject: FW: Acute Pesticide-Related Illness, FL Medfly Eradication
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 21:48:27 -0500
Message-ID: <001001bf2d81$8fe76180$74a2cdcf@default>
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