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Flyers
How Do Pesticides Affect People?
Download as flyer, in: Pyrethroid pesticides are health hazards Scientific studies of sumithrin, resmethrin reveal serious safety concerns For three years, government officials soothingly told us that malathion,
sumithrin (Anvil), resmethrin (Scourge) and other pesticides used in repeated
rounds of mass spraying are harmless. But almost every product brought
to us by the highly profitable chemical industry is said to be harmless
until, the hard way, we frequently find out otherwise. During the 1960s,
even deadly DDT was said to be harmless! This
is not to say that every human-made product is dangerous. Raising unnecessary
alarms should not be the goal of any environmental organization. But
neither should we blindly accept assurances that every chemical put
to wide use is safe. Government officials blandly assure us these pesticides
are safe (while telling us to hide indoors!) and the newspapers, radio
and television seek to incite hysteria without finding the space or
time to report pertinent facts. People naively assume that
pesticides undergo lengthy testing by the government before being cleared
for use. But that is not so. Instead the government accepts the minimal
testing done by the manufacturers themselves until sufficient evidence
of injury accumulates. Another common misconconception:
Pesticides such as sumithrin are not natural and are not made from
chrysanthemum flowers as is often claimed. Sumithrin, resmethrin and
permethrin belong to a class of pesticides known as pyrethroids, which
are synthetic analogs of chrysanthemums (Anvil) and dandelions
(Scourge). Pyrethroids are not natural! These pesticides are often
promoted as “safer” than malathion, an unrelated organophosphate,
but this is not true. Pyrethroids are toxic to
the thyroid and immune system, among other concerns. No safe exposure
level has been scientifically established for avoiding hormonal and
other adverse effects, nor has the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) set an exposure limit. Sumithrin/Anvil could lead
to breast cancer The link between sumithrin
and breast cancer is not proven -much more research is needed in this
area. But a study conducted by a scientist at the Mount Sinai School
of Medicine is troubling. This study, published in the peer-reviewed
Environmental Health Perspectives [Vol. 107, No. 3, March
1999], concludes “These findings suggest that pyrethroids should
be considered to be hormone disruptors, and their potential to
affect endocrine function in humans and wildlife should be investigated.”
This study indicates pyrethroids disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking
the effects of the female hormone estrogen. This in turn can cause breast
cancer in women and lowered sperm counts in men. When estrogen levels
are elevated, old cells are not removed from the body and cell proliferation
occurs, whether benign or malignant. The Roger Williams General
Hospital, Brown University in Providence, R.I., conducted a study on
pyrethroids, which concluded: “chronic exposure of humans
or animals to pesticides containing these compounds may result in disturbances
in endocrine effects.” [Steroid Biochem, March 1990;
35(3-4):409-14.] A report issued in June
2000 by the Royal Society in England and written by a group
from Cambridge University called for international cooperation to deal
with the dangers posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including
pyrethroids, and recommends reducing human exposure to these
chemicals. Due to concern in this area, Health Canada is currently conducting
a retrospective study of around 2,000 Ontario farm families related
to the risk of various reproductive outcomes, such as time to pregnancy,
spontaneous abortion and pre-term delivery. Other health dangers of Sumithrin There are several other
health concerns associated with sumithrin, and still more health concerns
with other chemicals used with sumithrin in the product known as Anvil.
Don¹t take our word for it -- the United States government
and the manufacturer of Anvil give plenty of evidence of these dangers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists sumithrin
as a suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant. The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of
Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances lists sumithrin as a suspected
kidney toxicant and suspected neurotoxicant. Sumithrin is on the Toxic
Release Inventory (TRI) list. The TRI listing requires manufacturers
to report the release of sumithrin. TRI-listed chemicals
require such information due to their exceptionally hazardous status
under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The International Chemical
Safety Card, produced by the International Programme on Chemical Safety
and the Commission of the European Communities, writes about
sumithrin: "prevent generation of mists. This substance may
be hazardous to the environment; special attention should be given to
fish." It also states that no tolerable levels have been established
for this substance. [This report is available from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0313.html,
the Centers for Disease Control¹s web site.] There are many effects that
can result from exposure to sumithrin. Inhaling can cause coughing,
wheezing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, runny or stuffy nose,
chest pain or difficulty breathing, as well as delayed long-term neurotoxic
effects, including optic and peripheral neuropathy. Skin contact can
cause rashes, itching or blisters. Young children, seniors and people
with asthma are the most at risk from sumithrin exposure. The Pesticide
Management Education Program at Cornell University reports: “Asthmatic
wheezing may be precipitated by exposure of predisposed individuals.”
Additionally, according to the second edition of the book “The
Best Control” by Steve Tvedten, people with multiple sclerosis
are in danger because they may be on medication that affects sodium
and potassium ion diffusion through neuron axons. Sumithrin is highly toxic to bees and fish. The label on Anvil, the brand of sumithrin used, states
“This product is toxic to fish. For terrestrial uses, do not apply
directly to water, or to areas where surface water is present or to
intertidal areas below the mean high water mark.” It can also
remain in the environment -- the half-life (the length of time
for 50 percent of a substance to disintegrate or to decay into
another substance) of sumithrin in soil has been calculated to be as
long as 16 weeks (although it can be less than this). Health problems with other chemicals in Anvil The full name of the sumithrin product being used in the mass-spraying operations
is Anvil 10 + 10 ULV. It has this name because the product is comprised
of 10% sumithrin and 10% piperonyl butoxide (PBO). PBI is itself a hazardous
chemical. These are the two “active” ingredients. The remaining
80% consists of white mineral oil and polyethylbenzene. PBO is added to make the
sumithrin more effective. It acts by inhibiting naturally occurring
enzymes that would otherwise degrade the insecticide. PBO breaks through
the insect¹s defense, making the insecticide more powerful. PBO is suspected of being
a carcinogen by the EPA¹s Office of Pesticide Programs. It is also
listed as a suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant,
and a suspected neurotoxicant, by the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health¹s Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances.
And it was reported as a suspected reproductive toxicant by J. Jankovic
in “A Screening Method for Occupational Reproductive Health Risk,”
published in American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal.
[57: 641-649. 1996.] Another test that indicates that PBO may be carcinogenic
is reported by a California environmental products company, Safe2Use,
which cited a study by Environmental Chemistry Inc., a Texas environmental
laboratory that primarily serves the chemical industry. Piperonyl butoxide is ranked
more hazardous than most chemicals in two out of three ranking systems,
and is also on the federal government¹s TRI list. Both piperonyl
butoxide and sumithrin are dangerous chemicals of and by themselves.
Put them together and the dangers exponentiate far more than the sum
of the individual parts. This is known as a “synergistic effect.”
Synergistic effects have barely begun to be studied. Polyethylbenzene (PEB),
also known as heavy aromatic solvent naptha (petroleum), is widely used
in pesticides. PEB is listed on the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs¹
Inert Pesticide Ingredients List No 2, which is a list of 64 substances
the EPA “believes are potentially toxic and should be assessed
for effects of concern. Many of these inert ingredients are structurally
similar to chemicals known to be toxic; some have data suggesting a
basis for concern about the toxicity of chemical.” PEB is related
to ethylbenzene, which is listed as a suspected reproductive toxicant
and a suspected respiratory toxicant by the EPA. The white mineral oil, also
known as hydrotreated light paraffinic petroleum distillate, is also
listed on the EPA¹s Inert Pesticide Ingredients List No 2 of potentially
toxic chemicals. According to Cornell¹s
Pesticide Management Education Program, hydrocarbons used as solvents
in spray products are likely to result in coughing, fever and chest
pain (hydrocarbon pneumonitis) if these liquid mists are breathed in. The 80% of Anvil that is
not sumithrin or PBO are referred to as “inert” ingredients,
a common labeling technique. But the term “inert” can be
misleading; the EPA¹s Pesticide Regulation Notice 97-6 actually
encourages manufacturers to voluntarily refrain from the use of the
word "inert,” preferring “other ingredients,”
due to consumers incorrectly assuming inert means “safe.” Resmethrin/Scourge
a developmental toxicant
esmethrin is listed as a
developmental toxicant on California¹s Proposition 65 list,
which catalogs chemicals known for reproductive toxicity. According
to Environmental Defense¹s <scorecard.org> service,
a chemical makes this list "if an independent science advisory
board has concluded they possess sufficient evidence of such toxicity
in animals or humans, or if an authoritative organization such
as the National Toxicology Program have reached a similar conclusion,
or if a federal regulatory agency requires a reproductive toxicity warning
label.” Resmethrin is also listed by the EPA as a suspected gastrointestinal
or liver toxicant. Even the Centers for Disease
Control says resmethrin “may be hazardous to the environment;
special attention should be given to fish and honey bees.” The
CDC acknowledges the pesticide has short-term effects of irritating
the eyes and the skin, while it is does not know what the long-term
effects might be. <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcs/ipcs0324.html> The International Programme
on Chemical Safety says that some liquid formulations of resmethrin
are “highly flammable” and/or explosive. The IPCS is a joint
activity of the United Nations Environment Program, the International
Labor Office and the World Health Organization. The brand of resmethrin
being used for spraying in the New York area is Scourge. The formulation
of Scourge includes piperonyl butoxide. Multiple dangers associated with malathion The organophosphate malathion
a derivative of nerve gas received most of the attention
in late 1999, when the City of New York launched a massive aerial spraying
of it. Malathion is rightly regarded as a hazardous substance.
The City of New York¹s Chem-Bio Handbook says that exposure
to malathion can cause “headache, nausea, vomiting, cramps,
weakness, blurred vision, pin-point pupils, tightness in chest,
labored breathing, nervousness, sweating, watering eyes, drooling or
frothing of the mouth and nose, muscle spasms and coma.” The handbook goes on to
say that “other acute effects can include mental confusion, frequent
urination, stomach cramps, diarrhea and seizures. Chronic effects of
malathion exposure include delayed neurological effects including pain,
numbness and weakness in the extremities, which may persist for months
or years. Also, central nervous system damage (memory, mood, motor coordination,
etc.).” Malathion is a suspected
toxicant in these areas: cardiovascular or blood, endocrine, gastrointestinal
or liver, neurologic, respiratory, and skin or sense organ by various
governmental agencies. It is also reported to be among the top
10% of chemicals in terms of hazards to the ecosystem, by Environmental
Defense, a nonprofit conservation group. The International Chemical
Safety Card gives this blunt warning about malathion: “Prevent
generation of mists! Strict hygiene. Avoid exposure of adolescents and
children!” But young people, and others, were repeatedly
exposed to large doses of the pesticide in late 1999. The Safety Card
goes on to say that short-term health effects of malathion exposure
“may cause effects on the nervous system, resulting in convulsions,
respiratory failure.” Humans are not the only
beings in danger from malathion. The manufacturer¹s label says
it is “toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates and aquatic
life stages of amphibians ... This product is highly toxic to bees exposed
to direct treatment.” During the late 1999 spraying, more than
2,000 fish were killed in a Staten Island lake, a mass dying that
the New York state Department of Environmental Conversation admitted
was due to malathion. Staten Island residents also reported that bees
had disappeared from areas where they were normally present in large
numbers. It is also feared that significant damage was done to monarch
butterflies, which were migrating through the New York area during the
fall 1999 spraying. No Spray Coalition, Inc. The No Spray Coalition is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in Federal
Court against the City of New York seeking a permanent halt
to mass pesticide spraying. We are in serious need of funds to support
the lawsuit and the organizing work we are doing. Please make a
donation and mail to the address above. For more information, email
us at: mitchelcohen@mindspring.com
(word)
(pdf) (pdf)
P.O. Box 739, Peck Slip Station
New York, NY 10272-0739
Hotline (718) 670-7110
P.O. Box 334, Peck Slip Station
New York, NY 10272-0334
Hotline (718) 670-7110
www.nospray.org