APPENDIX 8
Memorandum submitted by David St George
and Dr Gillian S Wade C Psychol,
Directors Celtic Dimensions (B
8)
CELTIC DIMENSIONS
Celtic Dimensions is a policy consultancy established
in January 1999 to assist the newly devolving Celtic countries
in, health, social, economic and political policy. Initially this
has been restricted to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but
will be expanded to include The Isle of Man, Brittany and Cornwall.
This will represent some 22 million people.
Initial projects are concentrating on Wales
and specifically on health care matters. The main focus for 1999-2000
is improving quality of procurement of medicines and medical supplies
and ensuring good Value for Money (VFM) for both public and private
sectors.
Dr Gillian Wade has had public sector experience
in University Research (culminating in a post as Honorary Research
Fellow, University of Kent), NHS/Social Services, and the Audit
Commission where she led the Welsh VFM studies' team as Senior
Manager. During the last decade she has also been with private
healthcare consultancies and latterly spent two years with a major
pharmaceutical company as Director of NHS and Industry Affairs.
David St George has had 27 years experience
within the Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic Agricultural and Veterinary
industry in commercial roles with two major multi-national corporations.
This has included strategic planning, healthcare policy research,
public affairs and issue management. Latterly, this has included
UK and EU responsibilities.
BACKGROUND
An inquiry is being held by the Agricultural
Committee around issues arising from the proposals to withdraw
organophosphate (OP) sheep dips, pending the introduction of new
containers [1]. This follows many years of concern around OP issues
including Gulf War Syndrome, sheep dips, use of pesticides in
humans and similar issues. Celtic Dimensions is able to offer
some evidence and ideas around the general area of OPs which could
be addressed within the overall inquiry.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Provide information on all packaged
goods about the OPs used in their manufacture;
2. Establish residue levels and decay
of residues for all OP products;
3. Create an awareness campaign of
OP issues and not just sheep dip problems;
4. Ensure there are Devolved countries,
UK,EU and World exchanges on the OP issues;
5. Co-ordinate activity across Food,
Health and Agricultural agencies listed in Recommendation 4;
6. Check on multi-indication products
which may be used in food, medicine and hygiene;
7. Develop simple tests for instant
diagnosis of problems.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
OPs are not confined to sheep dips. They are
in general use within society for a range of applications (eg
home use for insect control, medicines and public hygiene). Links
have been established between the use of OPs and neuro-toxic effects.
There is a body of literature to support this view and numerous
enquiries have been conducted.
An emerging concern is not just the effect of
one OP for one specific use but the general and aggregated use
of many OPs in various applications. An illustrative example follows:
EXAMPLE: DICHLORVOS
(DDVP)
Dichlorvos is an OP insecticide with contact,
respiratory and stomach action. Like many OP insecticides it also
inhibits the enzyme cholinesterase, which disrupts the nervous
and muscular system. [2]
It has been widely available since 1955.
It has a variety of uses:
— Insecticide for agriculture, horticulture,
aquaculture;
— Insecticide for home use (>50
branded product available[3]);
— Drug treatment for WHO programme
to treat schistosamiasis (river blindness) in developing countries
as metrifonate. It converts to Dichlorvos once it has been metabolised
in the liver;
— Possible drug treatment for Alzheimer's
disease as metrifonate [4].
The efficacy of Dichlorvos is not in dispute.
The safety of Dichlorvos is problematical. Some
of these concerns follow:
— The list of prescribed [sic] substances,
derived from the "Red List" of substances most dangerous
to the aquatic environment, included a number of pesticides approved
under the FEPA [Food and Environment Protection Act]. These pesticides
are Dichlorvos (12 others listed) [5];
— WHO Class 1 Pesticides list has classified
circa 80 pesticides, including Dichlorvos, as "1b—Highly
Hazardous". Many organisations, donor agencies and countries
have taken steps to reduce or avoid altogether the use of pesticides
in these categories [6];
— Carcinogenicity is seen as a potential
problem.
Two major internationally recognised classifications
of potential carcinogens are commonly referred to: IARC (The International
Agency for Research on Cancer) and USEPA (the US Environmental
Protection Agency)
IARC list Dichlorvos as a Group 2b—Possible
carcinogenic to humans [7];
USEPA lists Dichlorvos as a Group C—Possible
Human Carcinogen (limited evidence of carcinogenicity in animals
in the absence of human data) [7];
— Dichlorvos was being tested on students
as part of contract clinical trial work by a commercial laboratory.
This started an investigative journalism campaign in the Guardian
[8] [9] and was commented on in the medical press;
— Clinical trials in the treatment
of Alzheimer's disease were halted by the FDA and the developer
on the grounds of muscle weakness in a small number of patients.
A few of these patients also needed respiratory support.
CONSEQUENCES
Following the example of Dichlorvos a number
of consequences could follow for society.
— Exposure several times over in an
uncontrolled manner;
— Identified potential risks of cancer,
respiratory distress, muscle weakness and general neuro-toxic
problems;
— Possible re-ingestion via food chain;
— Toxic overload by sheer amount of
exposure. It is not implausible to think of an agricultural worker
using a pesticide in their job, a medicine for their health, an
insect spray for domestic hygiene and ingesting OPs via their
food. Additionally they could be exposed to airborne droplets
as a result of other farms spraying;
— If residues are not excreted they
may be passed on via breast milk or reproduction.
16 March 2000
REFERENCES
| Reference | Type
| Details |
| 1 | Title | Sheep Dip Inquiry
|
| Author(s) | FG Reporter
|
| Publication | Farmers Guardian
|
| Issue |
|
| Date | 10/03/00
|
| Page(s) |
|
| 2 | Title | Dichlorvos (DDVP)—A hazardous organophosphate
|
| Author(s) | Pesticides Trust
|
| Publication | Pesticides News—Fact Sheet (reprint)
|
| Issue | 29
|
| Date | 9/95 (still currently issued)
|
| Page(s) | 1-2 (reprint)
|
| 3 | Title | Dichlorvos & combinations—Insecticides
|
| Author(s) | Pesticide Safety Directorate; HSE
|
| Publication | Pesticides 1999
|
| Issue | Sections 3/459-3/469
|
| Date | 1999
|
| Page(s) | 445-7
|
| 4 | Title | Drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease
|
| Author(s) | T Stone & G Darlington
|
| Publication | Pills, potions, poisons—How drugs work
|
| Issue | 1st edition
|
| Date | 2000
|
| Page(s) | 145-6
|
| 5 | Title | Guidance on safe disposal of waste pesticides used for non-agricultural purposes
|
| Author(s) | Health & Safety Commission
|
| Publication | The safe use of pesticides for non-agricultural purposes—COSHH 1994—Approved code of practice
|
| Issue | 1st edition
|
| Date | 1995
|
| Page(s) | 41-2
|
| 6 | Title | WHO Class 1 pesticides
|
| Author(s) | WHO
|
| Publication | Via The Pesticides Trust "List of Lists"
|
| Issue | Current
|
| Page(s) | 9
|
| 7 | Title | Carcinogens—IARC Evaluated Pesticides
|
| Author(s) | International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
|
| Publication | Via The Pesticides Trust "List of Lists"
|
| Issue | Current
|
| Date | 1999
|
| Page(s) | 10
|
| 8 | Title | Students are paid to eat pesticides
|
| Author(s) | John Vidal
|
| Publication | Guardian
|
| Issue |
|
| Date | 30/07/98
|
| Page(s) | 1
|
| 9 | Title | More students are paid to eat pesticides
|
| Author(s) | John Vidal
|
| Publication | Guardian
|
| Issue |
|
| Date | 4/08/98
|
| Page(s) | 4
|
| 10 | Title | Bayer halts trial on metrifonate Alzheimer drug
|
| Author(s) | Steve Stecklow
|
| Publication | Dow Jones News
|
| Issue |
|
| Date | 23/09/98
|
| Page(s) |
|
| | |
| 
