All Party Organophosphate (OP) Group

1999 Briefing On Organophosphate (OP) Pesticides - Their Use And Abuse

1) OPs - What are they?

OP compounds were first recognised in 1854 and developed by Germany during the Second World War as a product of nerve gas development. They are the most widely used group of insecticides. They were introduced 40 years ago to replace organochlorines as OPs were supposedly safer. Organochlorines were found to persist in the environment and they were causing problems in the food chain.

OPs now account for some 38% of total pesticide use globally, although the figure for western Europe is 26%. OPs are not only used in the agriculture industry: they are also found in products for treating headlice on children, shampoos for domestic pets and to kill pests which attack cereals and vegetables.

There are literally hundreds of commercial applications in the UK - ranging from headlice lotion for children to glass house sprays - used in homes, gardens and all sectors of agriculture. The users are often totally unaware of the potency of these chemicals.

Toxicology literature reveals a great lack of research into the safety of OPs. The only real research has focused on the acute hazards related to the manufacture of OPs rather than all those suffering long-term exposure to them.

2) OP Poisoning

OPs inhibit enzymes of the nervous system which play a vital role in the nerve impulse transmission. They can be absorbed through the skin, lungs, and eyes. The main symptoms of organophosphate long-term damage are excessive fatigue, sensory disturbance, dizziness, disturbance of higher cerebral function, problems with memory, with cognitive functions, with concentration, with problem-solving and language use and how to deal with life generally.

3) How are they controlled?

The approval, carriage and supply of OPs are subject to Government regulation to ensure that their use does not give rise to ‘adverse ill health’. Ministers are advised by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Veterinary Products Committee members of which are independent of Government but tend to have gained their experience and expertise in the chemical manufacturing industry. Since 1993, purchasers and users of OP sheep dips have had to qualify for a Certificate of Competence, but other OP substances are not so restricted.

4) Warning Signs

In 1951 the Government had a Working Party to report on the problems of the new chemicals in agriculture. It was chaired by Lord Zuckerman - the Chief Government Chemist at the time - who presented a report entitled Toxic Chemicals in Agriculture which raised concerns that OPs could be absorbed through the skin and advocated that measures were needed for "adequate protection" of people using them. Zuckerman's report also recommended that the chemical itself should contain a dye so that it was easy to identify when splashes occurred and that the labels on the containers should be worded: "Deadly Poison". This was as far back as 1951!

Advice from the Health and Safety Executive on protective and preventative measures was prepared in the 1980s (MS17), but was NOT sent to doctors, vets and relevant consultants. OP sufferers have gone for years without being properly diagnosed. GPs and hospitals received very little guidance on diagnosing these symptoms and many victims were often thought to have quite different problems such as ME. Research has shown that stress (heat, physical, emotional) can increase the absorption of OPs. OP use during the Gulf War has been identified with Gulf War Syndrome. The Ministry of Defence was apparently unaware of MS17, and troops were indiscriminately exposed to OPs.

An HSE guidance factsheet called Biological Monitoring of Workers Exposed to Organophosphorus Pesticides or more commonly known as MS17 was first published in 1981. It was revised in 1986 and 1987 yet the information was never circulated to farmers, vets or doctors. It never even reached the MoD.

A BBC Factsheet Disaster - The Chemical Scythe written in January 1997 revealed that crucial medical and safety information was not provided or withheld and that the system for licensing chemicals and monitoring reactions was highly inadequate.

5) Summary of key events

OPs were introduced as a sheep dip in the 1960s under various sheep scab orders. Sheep farmers were required to dip their sheep once a year, using an approved Government sheep dip. Compulsory dipping was later extended to twice a year.

Between 1976-1992 containers of OP products did state that the chemicals were potentially hazardous, but no protective clothing and equipment was recommended nor did containers carry the warning sign of the skull and crossbones. Guidance notes were never circulated to doctors and hospitals: MS17 was restricted to those employees manufacturing factories, not to the farmers who were having to use the chemicals on their sheep.

In 1992, the newly formed All Party Group in Parliament met the Agriculture Minister - John Gummer - to urge the withdrawal of OPs until the longer-term health side effects had been examined. The Group continued to monitor developments and meet Ministers on a regular basis throughout the Parliament. The requirement to dip was withdrawn shortly afterwards, despite increasing incidence of sheep scab.

The Committee which licences OPs for the use in agriculture is the same committee as that which monitors adverse reactions in both animals and humans. The objectivity of the Committee has been questioned since it is dominated by scientists and advisers who have links with the agro-chemical companies: is this a conflict of interest?

The All Party Group working with the Organophosphate Information Network (OPIN) urged the need for more comprehensive research into human ill health apparently caused by exposure to OPs.

In October 1995 the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh was awarded £0.5m for research into the possible long-term human health effects of OP sheep dips, which is due to report later this year.

The so-called Gulf War syndrome, suffered by returning troops, has been linked to OPs since the symptoms are so similar. Paul Tyler asked Nicholas Soames, the Armed Forces Minister at the MOD, whether OP pesticides had been used during the hostilities.

In December 1996, however, the Minister was forced to admit that it was all wrong and that several hundred troops had been sprayed with OP pesticides during the conflict... Clearly, the MOD were unaware of the long standing HSE warnings about OPs, let alone the MAFF and DOH work.

Opposition Spokesman Michael Meacher's paper Dangerous Dips - the truth about Organophosphates was produced in October 1996. It indicated further risks to health in the form of damage to the nervous system, damage to bone cell function and suicide. Mr Meacher concluded that successive Governments had failed farmers and made recommendations similar to that of Zuckerman.

Since December 1996, there have been four legal cases across the world where OPs have been cited as the cause of long-term chronic illness. The most recent UK example is that of Mr Shepherd who sued the agricultural college where he worked. The college settled out of court to the tune of £80,000 plus costs. Dr Goran Jamal has been involved with these cases and has been giving medical evidence.

Soon after the change of Government, the group met Jeff Rooker and Dr Jack Cunningham at MAFF. He said that he could not ban OPs because of advice from Government lawyers.

On 22nd May 1998 the working group of COT (Committee on Toxicity) met for the first time under the Chairmanship of Professor Woods. The remit of the group was: "to advise on whether prolonged low-level exposure to Organophosphates, or acute exposure to OPs of a lower dose than causing frank intoxication can cause chronic illhealth effects."

25th June 1998 - Official Group on OPs Report to Ministers by Richard Carden was published. It highlights a total of 11 departments that have never really been properly co-ordinated in the past. The remit of the Group does not extend to judge whether they should be banned. It did, however, underline the lack of information and co-ordination, concerns which the All Party Group had been expressing to a succession of Ministers for years.

30th June 1998. Members of the All Party OP Group met Environment Minister Michael Meacher at the DETR. Mr Tyler said after the meeting that he the Minister was "apparently browbeaten by lawyers and the fat cats of the agri-chemical multinationals. The only convincing explanation for Michael Meacher's new policy on OP pesticides is that he has been got at. In October 1996, as Shadow Secretary of State for Environmental Protection, he published a full policy statement for the Labour Party in which its conclusions and recommendations followed closely on those of our All Party Group."

"Specifically, he committed Labour to a moratorium on the use of OP products in sheep dips. 20 months later there have been two changes affecting the situation: first, the evidence is mounting that OPs are unsafe to use, second, Mr Meacher has become a Minister. For the sake of the unfortunate victims of OP poisoning - including the Gulf War veterans - this is no time to split legalistic hairs. I still regard Mr Meacher as an ally, but I'm far from sure what influence he has."

30th July 1998 The Government was urged to investigate the use by multi-national chemical companies of students at British universities to test dangerous pesticides. In the Commons Paul Tyler asked Agriculture Minister of State Jeff Rooker MP, to authorise an urgent examination of reports in national newspapers that students in Manchester and Scotland had been subjected to tests. Mr Tyler drew the Minister's attention to the report by the US Environment Protection Agency which express "deep concern" at such human tests.

For multi-national chemical countries to feel it is worth their while to bribe British students, with substantial amounts of money, to be human guinea pigs, there must be a major commercial motive. The only possible explanation must be that the better protection provided by US legislation prevents them testing potentially poisonous substances on human beings in the USA. Is human health valued at a lower level here?

In his reply the Minister acknowledged the importance of the issue, said his preliminary view was that the tests did not break international, UK Government or Royal College rules, but promised to investigate the situation further.

Shortly after the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Psychiatrists issued a joint report: "Clinical Aspects of OP sheep dip exposure".

In January 1999, representatives of the All Party Group met with Jeff Rooker MP, Minister of State at MAFF, Rt. Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for Public Health and Minister for the Environment, the Rt. Hon Michael Meacher MP to discuss the most recent reports into the safety of OP pesticides. This was the first time that they had met ministers from more than one government department.

The group followed up on the Inter Departmental Report on OPs and discussed the problem of the lack of independent and reliable research into the safety of these chemicals. They also discussed the clinical aspects of long-term low dose exposure and how to improve the appraisal and monitoring of pesticides and veterinary medicines.

Reporting back to the Group, Paul Tyler said:"Our meeting with the three responsible ministers demonstrated a new government commitment to sort out these potentially lethal chemicals, once and for all. In the past we have gained the impression that civil servants were being asked to find excuses for inaction: now they are clearly being pushed into establishing a robust case for a conditional or even permanent ban."

"We pressed the ministers to review the balance between risk and cost on the one hand and convenience and commercial pressure on the other. They acknowledged that, in the end, whatever the legal and scientific advice they received, Ministers had to take the policy decision. They also agreed with us that the move on to a new generation of safer pesticides, for the environment as well as human and animal health, cannot be left to the chemical giants themselves."

On 16th March 1999, the Vice Chairs of the All Party Group went to give their evidence to COT (Committee on Toxicity - Chaired by Professor Woods) at the Department of Health.

In July 1999 the Institute of Occupational Medicine, based in Edinburgh finally published its long awaited report on the health side effects of exposure to organophosphate pesticides. The report, following an exhaustive study by the Institute, provided authoritative evidence of the chronic effect of long term low dose exposure to OP sheep dips, in particular. It also drew attention to extreme dangers from concentrates, and underlined the failure to provide effective advice on protection over many years.

Mr Tyler held a special media briefing on 2nd July 1999, to update journalists. He was joined by Elizabeth Sigmund of the OP Information Network and Peter Bright, the Plymouth solicitor handling a group action on behalf of OP victims.

On 24th July 1999 speaking at a conference of sheep farmers in Mid Wales which included reports from OP victims in different parts of the country, Paul Tyler urged all OP victims to join in the group action.

27th July 1999 -The OP Group met to discuss:

• The Institute of Occupational Medicine study of nerve damage from long term and low dosage exposure to OP sheep dip (Members of the Edinburgh IOM team were there to answer questions);
• the forthcoming report from the Department of Health’s Committee on Toxicity;
• progress with damages claims on behalf of sheep farmers who have been victims of OP poisoning (Plymouth based solicitor - Peter Bright - was there to answer questions on the group action he was preparing);
• latest assessment of the role of OPs as a cause of Gulf War Syndrome, following liaison with the Royal British Legion Working Group on Friday 23 July;
• investigation of the impact of OP lubricants, used in aircraft engines, when released in pressurised cabins, following legal cases;
• case studies of sheep farmers who have been offered or paid compensation, on condition of secrecy, following OP-related flock disasters

Following the meeting of the Group, MPs met Government Ministers to urge voluntary withdrawal pending the final outcome of research studies. "We believe that every day that these potentially poisonous products remain in use, now that the risks are so well known, increases the likely success of negligence and compensation claims".

6) Conclusions/Recommendations

A moratorium should be declared on the use of all organophosphates until an accurate assessment is made of toxicity and the mechanism of damage, particularly in relation to long-term chronic effects as a result of cumulative exposure to OPs.

The OPIN is a voluntary action group, now especially campaigning for more diagnostic centres to be established. It has also investigated the genetic problems that are manifest in the children of OP sufferers and helping farmers to get legal aid.