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CHLORDANE Banned out of FEAR or FACT?. Created by Jamie D. Palmer Issues in Agriculture Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office November 2005. What you need to know. What is Chlordane and its uses? What is its history? Why is this important to us? Why was Chlordane banned?
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CHLORDANEBanned out ofFEAR or FACT? Created by Jamie D. Palmer Issues in Agriculture Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office November 2005
What you need to know... • What is Chlordane and its uses? • What is its history? • Why is this important to us? • Why was Chlordane banned? • What do the facts say?
C10H6Cl8 What is Chlordane? • Man-made mixture of chemicals • Thick, insoluble liquid
What were its uses? • Controlling insects on the farm and at home • Protecting lawns, gardens, and most importantly homes
Chlordane’s most important use was protecting homes from termite invasion Protecting the home...
What is Chlordane’s history? • First commercially produced in 1947 • Public concern rose • EPA began phase out in 1978 with its use on food crops • All uses were banned in 1988
Why is this important to us? 1. Effective pesticides being removed from our shelves 2. Insect damage to food and homes
Why is this important to us? • Effective pesticides are often banned • Less effective replacements • Yielding heavier, more frequent applications • No real solution to the pesticide dilemma
Higher prices and ruining vegetables • Skyrocketing costs for termites damage Why is this important to us? • Less effective pesticides mean… • Fleas in homes and on pets
Why was Chlordane banned? • Liver problems with lab mice fed a diet of Chlordane • Chemical runoff leaving food and water supply susceptible to Chlordane
Short Term Lifetime Health Effects of Chlordane* above the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) • Liver • Kidney • Heart • Lungs • Spleen • Adrenal Glands • Cancer • Central Nervous System • Blood System
How are you exposed? • Exposure comes from three different ways • Lungs • Skin • Ingestion
Who is exposed? Those most likely exposed to high levels are: • those who worked in the manufacture of Chlordane, • pest control workers, • farmers, • and lawn maintenance workers.
Who is exposed? People are still being exposed to Chlordane through: • Chlordane treated homes • Food • Water
Allowance Infants Teenagers Adult Allowance Amount 0.0013 ug/kg 0.0005-0.0015 ug/kg 0.11 ug/kg 0.0006 mg/kg Is exposure really a problem?Chlordane Exposure in the Daily Food Intake A microgram is one thousandth of a milligram ug/kg = microgram per kilogram body weight mg/kg = milligram per kilogram body weight
CDC - “No harmful effects on health have been confirmed in studies of workers who made Chlordane.” ATSDR - “There is no link between Chlordane and cancer.” What do the facts say?
Studies reveal... • 4-year-old ingested Chlordane • 24 men studied from a Chlordane factory • 47-year-old nurseryman daily exposure • Velsicol Chemical Corporation study
Velsicol Chemical Corporation • Table shows US death rates compared to Velsicol death rates • Study also looked at Heart Disease, and Stroke • Showed no increase of death rates of those workers Cancer Death Rates
What else raises red flags? • Rachel Carson’s book - Silent Spring • Pesticides killing birds • Painted grim picture of pesticide use • US Fish & Wildlife survey disproved her accusations
Problem in the application... • “The truth is that if pesticides are used according to label instructions, they are remarkably safe.” - William Robertson, director of the Washington Poison Center in Seattle • “Most people have no idea that many pesticides are extremely potent against pests, with little hazard to humans.” - Michael Potter, Urban Entomologist at University of Kentucky
What you know now... • What Chlordane is and its uses • What is its history • Why it is important to us • Why Chlordane was banned • What the facts say
To sum it all up... • Careful examination of pesticides • People should listen to valid research and make informed decisions before listening to sensationalist views • Pesticides are potentially risky, but if directions are followed they are rarely hazardous to humans
CHLORDANE The End