“Close Watch” In N.Z. On Pesticide Use

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30221, 28 August 1963, Page 20

“Close Watch” In N.Z. On Pesticide Use

Both the Department of Health and the Medical Research Council were keeping a very close watch on the hazards arising from the use of pesticides in New Zealand, said Dr. J. C. Dacre. toxicologist on the 'council, at the of Otago’s Medical School. Dr. Dacre was replying to a correspondent of “The Press” (Mr A. E. Kingston) who, in a letter to the editor, wrote on August 8: “Your report on the panel discussion on insecticide residues in foodstuffs at the Royal Society meeting of August 7 prompts me to ask the Medical Research Council if it could answer the following question which is exercising the minds of many people today. “As the poison D.D.T. has been found to become concentrated in the eggs of birds living in areas treated with this insecticide and to cause sterility and tlie disappearance of many bird species, is it not logical to assume that the continued use of D.D.T on New Zealand pastures, fruits, and vegetables will lead to its gradual accumulation in humans and their reproductive cells, and to eventual human sterility, also? Let truth prevail.” Dr, Dacre replies: “It is now well known that the continued use of D.D.T. and other chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides such as dieldrin and aldrin leads to their gradual accumulation m both the soil and the depot fats of man and animals. “These pesticides persist in the soil for many years (dieldrin was found in soil some 11 years after application) and retain their insecticidal activity, they are absorbed by contact through the skin and they appear to

f assume and maintain a constant concentration level in body fat tissues. ! “A recent report from ? England gives the mean level » of D.D.T. in the body fat of 131 normal individuals at 2.21 parts per million and the ■ mean level for dieldrin at t 0.21 p.p.m. This agrees with s the figures found for D.D.T. in West Germans but is con- > siderably below the level of » 5 p.p.m. reported for the ) body fat of North Americans. “Nothing is known at present of the levels of D.D.T. • and dieldrin in the body fat . of normal New Zealanders, s There is no evidence that 5 these chlorinated hydrocar- > bon insecticides have any i effect on the reproductive r organs of human beings,” i says Dr. Dacre. f “It is known, however, that D.D.T. induces a weak carcinogenic response in rats > and that dieldrin induces i benign tumours in the livers i of mice and significantly re- . duces their life span. . “The continued use of > these particular insecticides t constitutes a significant risk > of toxicity to man and h.s l animals, and emphasises the urgent need for more toxij cological research relating to ! their safe use.” he says. "It . should be pointed out, how--1 ever,” seys Dr. Dacre, "that t there are control regulations for the use of D.D.T., dieldrin and aldrin and that resit dual tolerance levels for these compounds in many of our foods were fixed in the 5 1959 and 1961 amendments of , the Food and Drug Regulai tions. Tire use of dieldrin has > already been abandoned by . most countries throughout the world today ” i s 1 In 1962, 672,600 new build- ■ ing-and-loan savings contracts - were concluded in West Ger- • many, 28,300 more than in t the previous record-setting > year, 1958.