Guest guest Posted October 30, 1999 Report Share Posted October 30, 1999 " A recent Minnesota study found the bug killer at detectable levels in over 90 percent of school children examined. " This is inexcuseable... Malinda >EPA Says Widely Used Dow Pesticide Can Be Harmful > >By Julie Vorman >Reuters > >WASHINGTON (Oct. 28) - Environmental officials say one of the nation's most >widely used pesticides poses a safety risk for those who use it in their >gardens, fields and homes. > >Blurred vision, muscle weakness, headaches and problems with memory, >depression and irritability have been linked to large amounts of exposure to >Dow Chemical's Dursban, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a >preliminary scientific assessment posted on its web site late Wednesday. > >The EPA said the assessment found that exposure to the chemical on the skin, >in food, or by inhaling it could be harmful to human health. > >The EPA said it had a " particular concern " with Dursban poisoning cases >reported to federal health officials. About one-fourth of 325 illnesses >reported from 1993 through 1996 were serious enough to require >hospitalization, the agency said. > > " Data from the two human studies suggest that humans are as sensitive and >possibly even more sensitive than animals, " the EPA said in the detailed >report. One of the studies was conducted with inmate volunteers at a prison. > >Dursban is a standard tool used to kill insects that attack everything from >home-grown tomatoes to corn fields. It is also a powerful weapon against >termites and cockroaches, and is frequently used in homes, schools, >hospitals, and pet collars. > >The report laid out potential health risks, but did not indicate whether the >agency planned to tighten use of Dursban or phase it out. > >An EPA spokesman was not available for comment. > >Dow Chemical, in a letter to the EPA that was included in the report, said >EPA's risk analysis was misleading and based on " fundamental errors " of >science. > > " Three decades of use have shown that unless seriously misused, chlorpyrifos >products have wide margins of safety that protect users and consumers, >including infants and children, " the letter also read. > >EPA's scientific analysis of Dursban is part of a mammoth project to check >for harmful residue in food, drinking water and households from some 9,000 >pesticides. > >Under a controversial 1996 food safety law passed by Congress, the EPA must >require chemical makers to build in an extra margin of safety to protect >children, whose developing bodies can be more vulnerable to chemicals. > >The law has been sharply criticized by farm groups for failing to take into >account the cost to growers of using more expensive and less effective >alternative pesticides. Farm, chemical and consumer groups will have two >months to submit their suggestions to the EPA about the possible health risks >posed by Dursban. > >The active ingredient in Dursban is chlorpyrifos, a substance that is part of >a class of chemicals known as organophosphates, which have been shown to >affect the human nervous system. Organophosphates were developed during World >War II as nerve gas weapons. > >Environmental groups pointed to the new study as evidence that the EPA should >halt the use of Dursban. > > " This government study firmly supports our research and position, " said>Hettenbach, an analyst with the Environmental Working Group. " Dursban must be >banned. " > >A study by the green group two years ago found Dursban residue on most >breads, crackers, bagels and other wheat-based foods that were tested. > >The vast majority of Americans have at least a tiny amount of the chemical in >their bodies, the EPA said. A recent Minnesota study found the bug killer at >detectable levels in over 90 percent of school children examined. > >Two years ago Dow voluntarily stopped selling the pesticide for use in pet >shampoos and dips and household foggers. > >REUTERS Rtr 20:58 10-28-99 > >Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or >redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is >expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters >shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions >taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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