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PUBLIC HEALTH
ALERT |
You are going to be aerial sprayed
with pesticide to control the Gypsy Moth.
The BC Provincial Government has
announced it intends to aerial spray a massive area of Greater
Victoria with the pesticide Foray48B (Btk/Chemical Formula) to
control the gypsy moth this spring. It has been announced that the pesticide Foray48B is a
risk to human health and the environment. Foray48B will be in your water, in your soil, in
the air and on your food. There have been few experimental studies assessing the
toxicity of B.t.k. to humans.
Pesticides are absorbed into your body through the skin,
breathing into
the lungs (inhalation), swallowing (ingestion) and through the eyes.
Symptoms reported after a spray
include:
Flu-like symptoms: 'running nose', nasal
stuffiness, headache, throat dryness, dry skin, chapped 1ips, soreness.
Infections: upper respiratory tract, ear, nose (bleeding) and
throat.
Lungs: mucus build-up. (sticky)
Asthma: skin rashes, burning.
Allergies: gastrointestinal: stomach,
diarrhea, nausea.
Eyes: redness, itching and burning, corneal ulceration.
What else is in the spray?
All B.t. products contain ingredients
other than B.t.. These are identified only as "inert" ingredients and are called
trade secrets by the manufacturers of the products. The "inert" ingredients are
potentially the most toxic components of the formulations. Because "inerts" are
called trade secrets, there is little public information about their identity, but the
information that is available indicates they could cause health problems. Foray 48B has
contained sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, methyl paraben, and potassium
phosphate, as "inerts." While these ingredients make up less than 10 percent of
Foray 48B, they pose hazards. Sodium hydroxide, more commonly known as lye, causes
"severe corrosive damage to the eyes, skin, mucous membranes and digestive system
..'. Breathing sodium hydroxide dust or mist leads in mild cases to irritation of the
mucous membranes of the nose ... and in severe cases to damage of the upper respiratory
tract." Sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid are both corrosive. Sulfuric acid can cause
severe deep skin burns and permanent loss of vision. When inhaled as a mist, sulfuric acid
may cause severe bronchial constriction, and bronchitis. Phosphoric acid is an irritant to
skin and mucous membranes, and its vapors may cause coughing and throat irritation. Both
methyl paraben and potassium phosphate were once registered by EPA as pesticide active
ingredients.
Those that are at risk
from being exposed to this pesticide are:
Children and Infants:
Under similar conditions of exposure to pesticides, children
will absorb more than an adult, placing them at higher risk. Children will be exposed through inhalation, ingestion and/or skin contact.
Children are more likely to have direct skin contact with treated areas because they
crawl, toddle, roll and explore. Children have a less mature immune system to protect
them. Children have a less mature liver and other enzyme systems to detoxify chemicals and
microbes. Children have a higher respiratory rate and more particles will deposit into
their lungs than in adults. The number of children who have asthma and allergies has been
steadily increasing. Some of this increase is associated with a child's exposure rate of
pesticides. Most pesticide limits are based exclusively on estimates of adults, (150 pound
adult males) not children.
Those already suffering from:
Respiratory problems, digestive problems, environmentally
sensitive, asthma and allergies For those not yet suffering from asthma or allergies the
risk of suffering a reaction will increase with multiple exposures to Foray48B. Those with
asthma, allergies and chemical sensitivity are vulnerable to very small amounts of
pesticide residues. Drift exposures post unacceptable potential health risks to infants,
children, pregnant women, the elderly, the ill and the immunocompromised.
The elderly:
Pesticide exposure can aggravate existing health problem
Anyone who is already ill, has a chronic disease, or is taking daily medications can be
more at risk from exposure to toxic chemicals and bacteria, including pesticides.
Pets:
As with humans, pets will be exposed to Foray48B in this
massive aerial pesticide spray. They will walk on it, they will roll in it, they will lick
it from their fur, off their paws, they will inhale it, they will ingest it and they will
get it in their eyes. Foray 48B will be in the parks, on your lawn, it will cover the
streets.
Those that spend time outdoors:
Bikers, walkers, swimmers, gardeners, etc...
Carry over effects of Btk in soil have been documented for up to 2 years after treatment.
Btk can persist in fresh and seawater. The Capilano watershed tested positive for Btk two
years following aerial spraying. Chlorination of the water supply was not sufficient to
kill Btk in municipal water system during other spraying programmes.
Wildlife:
Other butterflies, moths and beneficial insects - results of
experiments suggest that rare non-target species of butterflies may be ecologically at
risk in large-scale pest control programs based on Btk. The study showed that both numbers
of non-target insects over the test period and species richness were depressed for 3 year
following treatment. Some spring-feeding caterpillars of moths and butterflies will be
adversely affected by exposure to Btk.
Nesting birds, bats and some fish - the number of nesting
attempts per year will be reduced. Bats that feed on night flying moths in summer will have to expand their
foraging territories and adjust their foraging habits.
Let's work together
to stop this unfair and dangerous spraying! |
