UC Agricultural Health & Safety Center at Davis
On-Line News
Issue Number 1994-02
November 1994
Published by the UC Agricultural Health & Safety Center at
Davis, University of California, Davis, Marc Schenker, M.D., M.P.H.,
Director; Marti Childs, Editor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1994-02-02 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the UC Agricultural Health & Safety Center at
Davis On-Line News.
On-Line News is a synopsis of news items covered by the
Center's quarterly newsletter along with additional information
including news clippings and Center publications related to agricultural
health and safety issues. The Center has two electronic list servers
that allow automatic forwarding of e-mail to a list of subscribers.
One server is a forum for announcements and discussion of agricultural
health and safety issues and the other is a vehicle for the automatic
distribution of mini-newsletters.
The e-mail addresses for the general list are: aghealth@oem.ucdavis.edu
(message forwarding address) and aghealth-request@oem.ucdavis.edu
(subscriber request address). The addresses for the mini newsletter
are: aghealthnews@oem.ucdavis.edu (message forwarding address) and
aghealthnews-request@oem.ucdavis.edu (subscriber request address).
To subscribe to a list, send an e-mail message to the request address
with no subject and a one line message giving the option subscribe
and your name. For example, to subscribe to the forum for announcements
and general agricultural health and safety issues, you would send
the following:
To: aghealth-request@oem.ucdavis.edu
Subject:
Message:
subscribe (your name here)
By return e-mail you will receive confirmation of your request
and more information about using the listserver request functions.
To subscribe to the On-line News, your request would look
like:
To: aghealthnews-request@oem.ucdavis.edu
Subject:
Message:
subscribe (your name here)
Back to Contents
1994-02-03 NEW PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE CENTER
Four research and outreach grants were awarded in September to
investigate agricultural health and safety issues relating to pesticides,
herbicides, injury claims and respiratory health. Projects funded
by the Center's seed grants have resulted in valuable collaborations
among researchers from different centers throughout the region.
A synopsis of the studies awarded funding for 1994-95 follows.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN SMALL-FARM PESTICIDE SAFETY RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
AND EDUCATION OUTREACH
A growing population of Southeast Asian immigrants have settled
in the Central Valley of California and are involved in small-farm
vegetable production.
The objective of this study, which is headed by Mick Canevari,
agronomic crops advisor for UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) specialists,
is to develop a pesticide safety manual designed and written to
educate Southeast Asian (Laotian, Hmong and Cambodian) small family
farmers. Co-investigators for the project are Jennifer Weber, program
representative for Farmers Occupational Safety and Health Education
(FOSHE) in San Joaquin County, and Robert Mullen, a vegetable crops
farm advisor for UCCE in San Joaquin County. For information,
contact Mick Canevari, (209)468-2085.
BIOMARKERS FOR MOLINATE-INDUCED MALE REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY
Molinate, a widely used rice herbicide, is the focus of another
study funded by the Center's seed grant program. Marion G. Miller,
associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Environmental
Toxicology, with Russell O. Davis, assistant adjunct professor in
the Division of Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, will explore the effects of molinate exposure on the
male reproductive system. They will also address the effect of molinate
exposure on sperm motility and morphology using automated computerized
techniques. For information, contact Marion G. Miller, (916)
752-4526.
FACTORS THAT REDUCE INJURY CLAIMS IN THE CALIFORNIA TABLE EGG INDUSTRY
The California poultry industry has one of the highest injury rates
in agriculture. This one-year prospective study will compare injury
incidence rates among California commercial table egg producing
companies that have been categorized according to aggressiveness
of their injury prevention programs. James J. Beaumont, associate
professor in the UC Davis Division of Occupational/Environmental
Medicine and Epidemiology, with Douglas R. Kuney, area poultry farm
advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Riverside County, and James
M. Meyers, Agricultural and Environmental Health Specialist at UC
Berkeley and Center outreach coordinator, will conduct in-depth
evaluations of company safety programs to identify factors that
are associated with lower claim rates so that they may be used in
future injury prevention programs. For information, contact James
J. Beaumont, (916) 752-8036).
CALIFORNIA FARMWORKER DUST AND ENDOTOXIN LEVEL, DOSE, AND RESPIRATORY
EFFECTS: A LONGITUDINAL INTERDISCIPLINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY
Due to the lack of published information on organic dust and endotoxins
inhaled by California agricultural workers, Bruce N. Leistikow,
assistant professor of Occupational/Environmental Medicine &
Epidemiology at UC Davis, and his associates will measure farmworkers'
ventilatory rate, the amount of endotoxin and dust levels inhaled,
and the lung function of California poultry workers. Working with
Industrial Hygienist Robert J. Lawson, and Janice Pagoda, a biostatistician,
Leistikow hopes to discover associations between agricultural tasks,
season, ventilation, dust and endotoxin levels, dose and respiratory
response. These study methods will eventually be extended throughout
agriculture to target high-dose exposures. For information, contact
Bruce N. Leistikow, (916) 752-1409.
Back to Contents
1994-02-04 CENTER HIRES NEW INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen is looking forward to a milder winter than
what he was used to growing up in Holland. Mark recently accepted
a postdoctoral research position with the Center as an industrial
hygienist. He is working with Center Director Marc Schenker and
Staff Research Associate Cathy Saiki on a case control study dealing
with respiratory health in California farm operators. Mark received
his first degree (a six-year degree similar to a bachelor's and
master's degree combined) in 1989 from the Agricultural University
in Wageningen, Holland, where he majored in environmental science
with a special interest in occupational hygiene and epidemiology.
"My major projects included an epidemiological study in a tobacco
processing factory, an evaluation of pesticide sprayers and a placement
(internship) at the Institute of Occupational Health in Birmingham,
U.K.," said Mark. After graduation, Mark joined the National Heart
and Lung Institute in London, England, and conducted two longitudinal
cohort studies of flour millers, bakery workers, and laboratory
animal workers. In 1993 he completed his Ph.D. in occupational hygiene
at the University of London. His research focused on exposure to
aeroallergens--determinants, exposure levels and skin prick response.
Just before joining the Center, Mark completed his first year of
postdoctoral training at the University of London. "I am happily
surprised by the great interest in soccer in Davis, but I'm sorry
to miss another season of my beloved AJAX Amsterdam Football Club,"
he said. Mark's wife, Branka, who is from Yugoslavia, will soon
be joining him just in time for one of those Davis winters.
Back to Contents
1994-02-05 PM-10 DUST FOCUS OF STUDY
Excerpted from California Agriculture, July-August
1994
Once particulate matter 10 microns or smaller (PM-10) settles in
the lungs, it can increase asthma attacks, reduce lung function,
aggravate bronchitis, result in respiratory disease and lead to
premature death, according to Karlyn Black, statewide PM-10 specialist
for the California Air Resources Board.
That's why Center researchers are working to determine how and
to what degree agricultural practices contribute PM-10 dust to the
air. Inhaled dust particles larger than 10 microns in diameter can
be expelled, but PM-10 dust can bypass the body's natural defense
mechanisms and settle permanently in the lungs.
UC Davis soil scientists Randy Southard and Mike Singer are working
with Industrial Hygienist Robert Lawson and Agricultural Engineer
Henry Studer to measure the amount of PM-10 generated by different
farming practices and to examine soil composition. Singer and Southard
collected air samples from the breathing space of tractor drivers
and from outside the equipment, and they are comparing the composition
and amount of dust generated by organic versus conventional farming.
Southard is also tracking how far dust is transported and what influences
how far it travels.
Lawson is working with Singer and Southard to measure occupational
exposure and to determine what PM-10 constituents other than silica
(known to harm the lungs) are present in soil. Researchers have
found that different PM-10 particles are found in different regions
in California, for example, dust composition will be different in
Los Angeles compared to Sacramento, and different again in Parlier.
Studer has been testing an almond harvester modified to shake out
dust as it picks up the windrowed almonds. Although the procedure
seemed to raise less dust, Studer said he's not sure whether it
reduced the amount of PM-10, but his data is being evaluated.
Back to Contents
1994-02-06 LAUNDERING PRACTICES OF PESTICIDE
HANDLERS
Pesticide applicators and others who work with agricultural chemicals
should practice safe handling and laundering of their chemically
exposed clothing to avoid second-hand exposure to their families
say Center researchers James I. Grieshop, community education and
development specialist, Ninfa E. Villanueva, research assistant,
and Martha C. Stiles, staff research associate.
Second-hand exposure refers to the outcome of the process through
which members of a household are exposed to pesticides even when
they do not directly come into contact with the chemicals in the
field. Young children, along with adults, may be affected by exposure
to contaminated clothing both immediately and over time.
Center researchers interviewed 109 members of Spanish-speaking
farm worker households and their families, both female and male,
who laundered and/or were familiar with household laundering practices.
The interviewees were divided into three groups based on their
exposure to pesticides: direct exposure, indirect exposure and non
exposure. Researchers found that the least safe handling and laundering
behaviors were reported by the group most at risk from first hand
exposure (i.e., handlers, loaders and applicators). In addition,
second-hand exposure to pesticides appears to be related to storage
and laundering practices reported by those who are directly or indirectly
exposed to pesticides.
Grieshop, Stiles and Villanueva's findings reveal that the actual
laundering practices of farm workers and their knowledge of what
constitutes unsafe laundering behavior, including "second-hand"
contamination, needs to be further addressed.
Results of the Wash Day Blues study suggests that more should be
done to inform and sensitize pesticide applicators and their families
to the possible hazards and safe procedures for storing and laundering
pesticide-contaminated clothing.
"California law requires employers to provide pesticide handlers
with clean protective clothing at the beginning of each work period,
and the employer is responsible for cleaning and maintaining contaminated
clothing, but it doesn't always happen that way in the `real world',"
says Patrick J. Marer, pesticide training coordinator for the Statewide
Integrated Pest Management Program at UC Davis.
According to Marer, an employer can arrange with employees to launder
their own clothing as long as they provide them with the appropriate
laundering instructions and warn them not to combine contaminated
clothing with other laundry.
Marer stresses the fact that clothing that has become contaminated
with a concentrated pesticide from a spill, splash or other accident
should not be laundered, but should be disposed of as a hazardous
waste. "Laundering will not effectively remove concentrates and
may spread the contamination," he said.
The following chart was developed by Marer to advise pesticide
applicators on how to safely store and launder clothing to avoid
second-hand exposure. The instructions appear in his 1988 book Safe
and Effective Use of Pesticides .
TECHNIQUES FOR WASHING PESTICIDE-CONTAMINATED CLOTHING
1. Keep pesticide-contaminated clothing separate from all other
laundry.
2. Wash only small amounts of clothing at a time. Do not combine
clothing contaminated with different pesticides--wash these in separate
loads.
3. Wash contaminated clothing daily. Always wear clean protective
clothing daily when working with pesticides.
4. If not washed immediately, place contaminated clothing in a
clean plastic bag until it can be laundered.
5. Do not handle contaminated clothing with bare hands--wear rubber
gloves or shake clothing from plastic bag into washer.
6. Before washing, presoak laundry.
7. Wash garments in a washing machine using the hottest water temperature
at full water level and normal wash cycle.
8. If garments have pesticide odor, visible spots or stains before
washing, rewash one or two times.
9. Clean washing machine before using for other laundry by repeating
step 5, with no clothing.
10. Hang laundry clothes on clothesline to avoid contaminating
automatic dryer.
11. Always wear all required protective clothing when working with
pesticides.
Back to Contents
1994-02-07 EPA SETS GUIDELINES FOR PESTICIDE
ILLNESS REPORTING AND USE VIOLATIONS
The California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of
Pesticide Regulation announced in May that 1,804 illnesses with
confirmed potential links to pesticide use were reported in California
during 1991. Of that tally, 592 were agriculture-related illnesses
and 1,212 occurred in other work-related settings.
Under a statute enacted in 1971 and amended in 1977, California
physicians are required to report any suspected case of pesticide-related
illness or injury by telephone to the local health department. This
statute is Section 2950 of the Health and Safety Code. The health
department informs the county agricultural commissioner, and also
completes a Pesticide Illness Report (PIR), copies of which are
distributed to the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA), to the California Department of Industrial Relation (DIR),
and to the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR).
Because the required illness reports are not always provided, DPR's
Worker Health and Safety Branch (WH&S) also reviews reports
of worker illness and injury submitted to DIR under Workers' Compensation.
Any report that mentions a pesticide, or pesticides in general,
as a possible cause of injury is selected for investigation.
"WH&S gets most of the pesticide illness Reports from the Workers'
Compensation system which can cause a real problem because many
of the reports arrive two to three weeks and sometimes months after
the fact," says John M. Donahue, branch chief of the Worker Health
and Safety Branch, Department of Pesticide Regulation, California
Environmental Protection Agency. " This makes the investigator's
job of determining the cause of the incident extremely difficult."
All cases, whether identified by direct physician reporting or
by review of Workers' Compensation reports are investigated by the
agricultural commissioner of the county where the incident occurred.
With the fact that not all required illness reports are reported
a bill, SB 555, was passed in August stipulating that a physician
would not be compensated for an initial diagnosis and treatment
of pesticide-related cases unless the injury report filed with the
employer or employer's insurer (Doctor's First Report of Occupational
Injury or Illness) was accompanied by a signed affidavit certifying
that the physician filed the required Pesticide Illness Report (PIR)
with the local health officer.
Another effort to increase the reporting of pesticide-related illness
or injury by physicians is a program initiated by DPR, DIR, and
OEHHA. Under this program, DIR will send out an initial notice to
all physicians (70,000) reminding them of their reporting obligation
under Health and Safety Code Section 2950. When DPR's Worker Health
and Safety Branch (WH&S) receives a Doctor's First Report of
Occupational Injury or Illness without evidence of a PIR submitted,
WH&S will send out a "reminder" letter to that physician stating
that he/she did not report the initial PIR and if a second violation
occurs it will be forwarded to DIR for enforcement. The Health and
Safety Code Section 2950 is enforced by DIR with a penalty of $250
for non-reporting.
"Concurrently, OEHHA is also conducting physician training, offering
educational materials that can help them recognize pesticide-related
illnesses," said Donahue. "Comparing reporting results from Stanislaus,
Riverside and Orange counties versus the mailing to all physicians
will enable the program to evaluate whether actual hands-on training
increases reporting."
In another effort, the senior medical coordinator at WH&S mailed
to the state Coroners Association a one-page protocol for doctors
to use in determining if a fatality is pesticide-related or suspected
of being pesticide related.
DPR is also implementing uniform enforcement guidelines to ensure
that the county agricultural commissioners are dealing with pesticide
use violations consistently. For example, one county may charge
a fine for a particular violation while another county issues a
notice of violation for the same offense. A co-agency committee
consisting of county agricultural commissioners, representatives
and DPR personnel from the Pesticide Enforcement Branch have developed
a four-phase implementation plan to evaluate the standards in each
county during the evaluation period for clarity, workability and
effectiveness. The final program became effective in July. Commissioners
appear to be working well with the program.
Back to Contents
1994-02-08 AG NEWS CLIPS ON FILE
The Agricultural Health & Safety Center at Davis maintains
a news clipping file related to agricultural health and safety issues.
Here are excerpts from a select few news clips.
Redding Record Searchlight, Redding, CA, July 9, 1994
"A manufacturer will stop production of an unsafe pesticide that
has been used widely on California crops. Phosdrin, also known as
mevinphos, will be pulled from the national marketplace by February
1995."
Valley Herald, Milton-Freewater, OR, August 8, 1994
"An orchard worker was electrocuted as he was elevating sprinkler
heads in an orchard about two miles northwest of Milton-Freewater,
Oregon."
Bee, Fresno, CA, August 9, 1994
"In 1991, the latest statistics available, 416 people lost at least
one day's work due to heat-related illness, said Paul Lynd, a representative
for the state department of industrial relations. More than 13 percent
were in the agriculture business, he said."
Daily Journal, Ukiah, CA, August 14, 1994
"For regulators who are charged with trying to maintain migrant
farm worker housing it's a delicate balance between keeping the
housing available and keeping it habitable."
The Herald, Monterey, CA, August 16, 1994
"Growers resent loss of pesticide used widely in Monterey County."
Press Tribune, Roseville, CA, August 14, 1994
"In response to recent federal regulatory action, the University
of California's Integrated Pest Management Project, in cooperation
with 10 county UC Cooperative Extension offices, will begin offering
a series of seminars for trainers of pesticide handlers and fieldworkers."
Marin Independent Journal, San Rafael, CA, August 27, 1994.
A West Marin County oyster company has been cited for housing 60
low-income workers in 12 mobile homes with substandard and leaky
septic systems.
Business Tribune, Stockton, CA, September, 1994
San joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner's office, headquartered
in Stockton, is monitoring pesticide use.
California Country Sacramento, CA, September, 1994
"Governor's Farm Workers Services Coordinating Council a Success."
Californian, Bakersfield, CA, September 4, 1994
"Walter Bently, Kern County University of California Cooperative
Extension entomology adviser, has been named the new regional integrated
pest management entomology adviser for the San Joaquin Valley."
News-Guard, Lincoln City, OR, September 21, 1994
"Agricultural deaths dropped nationally for the second consecutive
year. However, agriculture continues to be the nation's deadliest
occupation."
North Side News, Jerome, Idaho, September 28, 1994
"Eye safety is a major concern whether it is on the farm, at work,
or just simply in everyday activity. Farmers should have periodic
optometric examinations and their optometrist's advice."
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, October 4, 1994
"Battle Looms on Chemicals That Disrupt Hormones."
Enterprise, Davis, CA, November 3, 1994
"UC Davis Study Targets Dangerous Work Practices in Agriculture--UC
Davis researchers intent on developing practical alternatives for
agricultural work that frequently causes injuries have launched
a new three-year agricultural ergonomics study."
Back to Contents
1994-02-09 AG CENTER PUBLICATIONS ON FILE
The following publications are available for review at the UC Agricultural
Health & Safety Center at Davis.
Farm Safety `93 : Family Style , a video produced
by DowElanco (maker of Lorsban 15G granular insecticide for Iowa
State University, University Extension, Ames, Iowa, 9/15/93. This
video documentary features candid discussions with farm families
about safety concerns. It reviews some basic safety rules and shows
how these families have incorporated them into their daily lives.
Sustainable Agriculture, published by the University of
California Cooperative Extension Agricultural Experiment Station.
This quarterly newsletter includes news and technical reviews from
the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education Program.
Matrix, published by the UC Davis School of Medicine and
Medical Center. This monthly newsletter is produced by physicians
and medical science researchers of the school of medicine.
Instructional Video Evaluation, published by Colorado State's
High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety,
Fort Collins, CO. This brochure was developed as a means to review
videos for content in order to help decide the sustainability for
instructional programs.
Rural Health News, published by the WAMI Rural Health Research
Center, Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington,
Seattle. This quarterly newsletter is supported by a grant from
the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
Rural Page, published by the National Resource and Policy
Center on Rural Long-Term Care, University of Kansas Medical Center,
Center on Aging.
Primary Physician's Practice Location Choice: An Analysis of
Factors in New York State by Ge Lin, M.A., Thomas Rosenthal,
M.D., Mary Horwitz, M.A. This is Working paper No. 3 in the Rural
Health Working Paper Series published by the New York State Commission
on Rural Resources and SUNY at Buffalo.
Making Our Farms Safer: Stage 2 of the Farm Safety Study
, August 1994. This tabloid-size page is published by Dr. Ruth Houghton,
Farm Safety Study, University of Otago Consulting Group, Dunedin,
New Zealand.
Gempler's 1994-1995 Personal Protection Guide This flyer
contains safety equipment from Gempler's, a national distributor
of specialized farm supplies.
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