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and even less research on further ecolog–
ical effects. Such research is too difii–
cult, time-consuming, and e:xpensive for
econornic consideration.
A broader economic consideration is
that if such pesticides were not used
until
proven
to be safe (a decades-long
problem), only the weaker sprays
would be used, causing, warns the De–
partment of Agriculture, a 25 to 30 per–
cent loss in U. S. crop production - a
catastrophe.
Ironically, with the banning of DDT,
much
stronger
insecticides have taken
its place. Your common household
sprays are often in the same family as
these stronger
organic phosphates.
The Nerve Gas Family
The organic phosphate family was
originally developed in World War II
as German nerve gases. Chemically they
are cousins to the nerve agents GD and
VX, involved in the current chemical
dumping controversies, and in biolog–
ical warfare.
Over 75 million pounds of these
organophosphates were produced in
1968, with about 60 million pounds
sprayed on American croplands, bornes,
and gardens, the rest exported or used
for other purposes.
The most common members of the
family are parathion, malathioo, azo–
drin, TEPP, and DDVP, the latter
being used in household "no-pest"
strips. The organophosphates, as a fam–
íly, are up to 120 times as toxic as
DDT. Parathion is
300 times
more toxic
than DDT! lsn't it rather a deadly
double standard to
han
DDT, yet allow
rouch more lethal killers such as
parathion and DDVP to be sprayed
freely?
How deadly are they? Human death
from parathion comes with 9
drops on
the skin.
With pure TEPP, the esti–
mated fatal dose is
one
drop orally and
one
drop on the skin. Three fourths of
all serious pesticide illnesses and deaths
come from the organophosphates,
NOT
the more prevalent, longer-lasting, but
weaker chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT,
aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, etc.) .
Although organophosphates are sorne–
times hundreds of times as lethal
as DDT, proponents of the cbemicals
argue that these phosphates break down
The
PLAIN TRUTH
much quicker than hydrocarboos, which
bave a half-life of about ten years. Para–
thion breaks down in a matter of 3-6
weeks. This "failing" necessitates
frequent repeat sprayings in heavy pest
areas. In California a field sprayed with
parathion is a "no-man's land" for 21
to 45 days, depending on the strength
of usage. During this period, the land is
heavily posted with warnings, or
guarded from trespassers, since serious
injury or death could result from just
brushing against the chemical.
Does that give you any cause to won–
der what the drug might do to the
The amount of para–
thion used in California
alone is enough to kili
every man, woman,
and child in the world
five to ten times over.
plant, the food, the soil and to
yo11?
It
should!
"One chemist, thinking to learn by the
most direct possible means the dose
acutely to:xic to human beings, swal–
lowed a minute amount, equivalent to
about .00424 ounce. Paralysis followed
so instantaneously that he could not
reach the antidotes he had prepared at
hand, and so he died. Parathion is now
said to be a favorite instrument of sui–
cide in Finland"
(Silent Sp1'ing,
Rache!
Carson, pp. 36-3
7) .
California has 200
accidental parathion poisonjngs per
year, Japan has 336 cases, 67
in
Syria,
100 in India, and so on round tbe
world.
The amount of paratbion used in
California alone is enough to
ki/J every
man, woman, and child in the world
five to ten times over. Y
es, .004 ounce
of something
CAN
kiU! In fact, accord–
ing to tbe USOA ea
eh
year about 800 to
1000 people no die of pesticide
poisoning, and another 80,000 to 100,-
000 suffer pesticide injury.
This is the family of nerve gases you
may have in your home at this moment:
DDVP
(short for
O,
0-Dimethyl-2,2-
DichloroVinyl Phosphate) is the toxic
agent in no-pest strips,
lindane
(a chlo–
rinated hydrocarbon, but twice as strong
September 1971
as DDT) is used in vaporizers, fumiga–
toes, moth-resistant doset strips, and
garden sprays; and
pyrethmm
is used
for aerosol sprays. Without going into
heavy detail (consult the listed sources
for further reading), Jook at the recent
research concerning these three major
borne and garden chemicals.
"No-Pest Strips"
No-pest strips are sold in 300,000
commercial outlets across the United
States. Millions have been bought, with
tens of millions of people exposed to its
DDVP vapors. Up until a year ago,
these ever-present 10-inch wax strips
were visible in most restaurant kitchens,
and a vast number of borne kitchens as
well.
A year ago, the U. S. Department of
Agriculture ordered the producers of
the strip to add this warning: "Do not
use in kitchens, restaurants or areas
where food is prepared or served," in
addition to the previous warning
against use "in nurseries or rooms
where infants, ill, or aged persons
are confined." But between one and
ten million strips are still on the
market, for sale,
witho11t
this added
warning.
Despite these warnings, sorne restau–
rants still prominently display their no–
pest strips next to their meat broiler.
Many housewives still use the strip in
kitchens, or baby's room. Also, the ill
and aged
have
been exposed, sometimes
with illness resulting.
Tbese are sorne of the
people
problems that are virtually unavoidable
in the use of dangerous chemicals.
Labels may give complete and proper
warning, but not everybody reads
labels! One thorough survey indicates
only 15 percent of housewives read the
printed instructions.
DDVP was developed fairly recently,
in 1955, yet apparently
"thet·e has never
been a st11dy of the effects of inhaling
the pesticíde steadil)' over a period of
years"
(
"The Price of Convenience,"
Environment,
October, 1970, p.
2,
emphasis theirs) .
Studies have been made of DDVP
ingestion by rats, but there is a lot of
difference between the effects of
eating
a chemical, and
breathing
it. The liver,
(Contin11ed on page 48}