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Rachel Carson Council News No. 89

Summer 1997

Feature article: A Tribute and A Triumph
'Cide Lines
A Misconception Stops Here
What's New?

Contact the Rachel Carson Council

A Tribute and A Triumph: The Rachel Carson Council
Conference on Cancer and Pesticides

October 26, 1996

The overarching goal of our Cancer and Pesticides conference was to honor Rachel Carson, whose Silent Spring alerted citizens to chemicals' harm, including their capacity to cause cancer, and whose courageous personal struggle against malignancy ended in 1964, with her death from complications related to breast cancer. Since then, cancer rates have increased in the U.S. and ever-greater pesticide sales reflect the nation's continued reliance on chemicals. Our conference brought together activists, academics, researchers, lay persons, and students in a healthy atmosphere for structured, effective and considerate communication about this worrisome but not completely unexpected coincidence.

The highly competent speakers, the attentive, animated audience, a delicious organic lunch, glorious October weather and the inspiring surroundings of the Patuxent Wildlife Visitors Center all contributed to the event's success. A sampling of participants' opinions reflect their diversity and general concurrence that the Conference was a triumph: "Amazing gathering of expertise"... "Excellent"..."Very intense solid speakers"..."Not enough time"..."Saw a Bald Eagle on the break".."Yummy lunch"..."Repeat conference next year in same place."

Speakers included: Dr. David Pimentel, Dr. Willie Lijinsky, Dr. Carl Barrett, Dr. John Reif, Dr. John Harshbarger, Dr. Janette Sherman, Dr. Jeff Baubier, Dr. Sam Epstein, Dr. Mary Ward, Dr. Marion Moses, Dr. Jim Davis, Dr. Beverly Paigen and Dr. Aaron Blair. Speakers addressed the following pertinent issues (with updates provided where possible):

1) Certain cancers have been associated with specific pesticides.

Age-adjusted cancer rates (in which the increased number of older people has been taken into account) are rising in the general population of developed countries. Certain cancers which have been related to specific pesticides also are increasing. They include: brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and prostate cancer.

The strongest and most consistent association exists for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and the phenoxy herbicides (such as 2,4-D).

Other associations found are:

[Note: Individual cancers are associated with exposures to pesticides in general (see #3).]

2) Breast cancer incidence rates have risen significantly since Rachel Carson's death in 1964.

Between 1973 and 1991 the incidence rate for breast cancer in the U.S. increased 25%. Dr. Janette Sherman stated that breast cancer has been linked with the endocrine effects of chemicals. Some researchers have found an association between breast cancer and specific chemical pesticides, although others have failed to confirm this link.

Environmental epidemiologist Dr. Jeff Baubier, from the USEPA, reported on agricultural regions in Illinois where increased use of the triazine herbicide atrazine has resulted in detectable levels of this pesticide in the groundwater. Rising rates of breast cancer were detected in areas with the highest atrazine water levels.

A 1997 publication noted increased rates of breast cancer in Hawaii, particularly in Kunia, Oahu where high levels of the pesticide DBCP were also detected (Allen et al., "Breast cancer and pesticides in Hawaii: The need for further study." EHP: 105, 3:679-683,1997).

Prompted by the concern of womens' groups, particularly on Long Island, NY, further studies of breast cancer and environmental contamination are underway. We will follow-up and present information as it becomes available.

3) Very young children may be more sensitive to carcinogenic chemicals, including pesticides.

Rates of certain cancers are increasing in this population. Infants and children appear predisposed to higher levels of cancer in conjunction with household pesticide exposure. Dr. James Davis listed conditions of pesticide use in or around the home which had been linked to increased rates of brain cancer in very young children. The following associations are listed in order of decreasing degree of scientific significance, measured by Relative Risk (R.R.), as they pertain to childhood brain cancer.

  1. Household use of pesticide bombs during pregnancy R.R. 6.2;
  2. Household use of No Pest Strips R.R. 5.2.;
  3. Treatment of human lice infestations with lindane shampoo (Kwell) R.R. 4.6;
  4. Treatments for termite control R.R. 3;
  5. Use of garden insecticides R.R. 2.6.

A published report of cancer in children under 15 found strong associations between soft tissue sarcomas and pesticide yard treatments (R.R. 4) and between leukemias and use of no pest strips (R.R. 1.7-3) (Leiss, "Home pesticide use and childhood cancer: A case control study." AJPH, 85, 2:249-252,1995).

[Note: In response to a steady increase for two decades in new cases for some cancers among children - 60% in testicular cancer, 50% in one form of bone cancer, 30% in brain cancer and 10% in one form of blood cancer - the EPA has convened a first-ever federal conference addressing the increase in childhood cancer and its possible link to environmental hazards. At a September, 1997 EPA conference, experts speaking on the special vulnerability of children were charged with recommending research into preventive measures for environmental causes of childhood cancer.]

4) Farmers, golf course superintendents, military dogs which had served in Vietnam, children whose parents apply pesticides for a living, and dogs whose homes are located near marshes, all were found to have increased chances of developing various types of cancer.

Farmers in many countries, despite their overall good health, as discussed by Dr. Mary Ward, tend to experience higher rates than the general population for some cancers. These include leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma, skin cancer, soft-tissue sarcoma, and cancers of the lip, prostate, brain and stomach.

Golf course superintendents who work in an occupation not usually associated with hazardous conditions are linked to higher rates of mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, brain and prostate cancer in a recently published study (Kross, et al., "Proportionate mortality study of golf course superintendents," AJIM, 29:501-506,1996).

[Note: Of chemical pesticides used on golf courses, RCC found 46% were either suspect, possible or probable carcinogens. For fungicides alone the carcinogenic rate was 58%. This analysis was based on data from an EPA chart from July of 1996, and pesticide information in the Basic Guide to Pesticides.]

Children of farm workers with life-threatening cancers were described by Dr. Marian Moses. These innocents from two California communities where clusters of cases appeared were predisposed to higher levels of brain cancer, neuroblastoma, leukemia, Wilms tumor (a common childhood malignancy of the kidney) and others. One explanation for the elevated cancer level was their parents' association with pesticides. A study from Shanghai found an association between the mothers' exposure to pesticides during pregnancy and childhood leukemia. In addition, children born in rural areas were found to be at higher risk for leukemia. (Shu, et al., "A population-based case-control study of childhood leukemia in Shanghai," Cancer, 635-644,1988). A report from Brazil has found that Wilm's Tumor could be associated with exposure of either parent, of the fetus in utero or of very young children to pesticides (Sharpe, et al., "Parental exposures to pesticides and risk of Wilms' Tumor in Brazil," AmJE pi, 141, 3:210-217,1995).

Pet dogs whose homes were located near marsh areas (where presumably spraying with pesticides for mosquitoes occurred), and with the two additional risk factors of obesity and being dipped for skin parasites more than twice yearly, were at a significantly greater risk for cancer. These dogs, according to a study (Glickman et al., "Epidemiologic study of insecticide exposures, obesity and risk of bladder cancer in household dogs," J.Tox and Env.Health, 28:407-414,1989) described by Dr. John Reif, were found to have a 30 times greater risk of developing bladder cancer than did pets in the general population.

Military dogs which had served in Vietnam, according to data from Dr. Howard Hayes of NCI, had a higher risk of testicular cancer than military dogs stationed elsewhere. This was thought to be related to pesticide and antibiotic exposure.

5) Animals in which pesticide exposure has been linked to higher cancer rates may indicate an increased risk to humans sharing their environment.

A study of canine malignant lymphoma patients, showed them to be 30% more likely to have lived in a home where the owners had applied 2,4-D or employed a commercial lawn care company to treat their yard. The risk of lymphoma rose when the owners used four or more yearly applications of the herbicide, and a statistically significant trend was found for the number of applications. (Hayes, et al., "Case-control study of canine malignant lymphoma: Positive association with dog owners' use of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides," JNCI, 1226-1231,1991)

Dr. John Harshbarger discussed a notable increase in genital tumors for women and, at the same time, for soft shell clams on the coast of Maine where high herbicide exposure had occurred. Cancer of fish is an excellent sentinel for concentrations of some chemical carcinogens in the environment. A few such sentinel associations have been made with carcinogenic pesticides but more work needs to be done. For example, both soldiers and military dogs who served in Vietnam appear to have increased risk of testicular cancer.

6) Dioxin from various sources, including pesticides, continues to pose a danger. The dioxin body burden of the average American is very close to the level that causes harm.

Dr. Beverly Paigen discussed dioxin, or TCDD, a known contaminant of the chlorophenoxy pesticides, particularly 2,4-D. In addition to being produced by incineration, it is generated when paper is bleached with chlorine. Dioxin is an 'indirect' carcinogen. At a body burden of 7 nanograms/ kilogram, dioxin is known to cause increased susceptibility to viruses and an altered immune response in two species of experimental animals. The average American, with a dioxin body burden of 5-9 nanograms/kilogram, "...is very close to or at the level that causes harm.... Another way of expressing this is that the average person is 'almost full' and further increases in dioxin will be harmful." How a decreased immune response affects carcinogenicity needs further study.

In July, 1997 Dr. Paigen provided a dioxin update. The good news: In Maine a bill was passed making it one of the first states to require companies to reduce the chlorine levels used for bleaching paper. The bad news: A bill requiring a non-chlorine method of paper bleaching was defeated.

Most Conference speakers stressed the need for cancer prevention. This view received additional support from the May 29, 1997 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, "Cancer Undefeated" by Dr. John Bailar, III. Age-adjusted mortality due to cancer in 1994 was 6 percent higher than the rate in 1970, leading Dr. Bailar to conclude that the war against cancer is far from over. Dr. Bailar is calling for "...a national commitment to prevention, with a concomitant rebalancing of the focus and funding of research."

What can we do?

Reliance on labeling for identifying carcinogenic pesticides is not possible.

Pesticide product labels usually do not include such data. Most food labels do not now indicate when carcinogenic or any other specific pesticide residues may be present. This, and the widespread use of chemicals in agriculture, obliges consumers to buy organic as one way to prevent contact with carcinogenic residues. RCC is always available for consultation on particular carcinogen questions and suggestions for less toxic alternatives.

To demonstrate: An organic lunch was served at the Conference. Although providing non-pesticide-treated food was a financial consideration for our organization, we are glad that we made the decision to do so and continue to be gratified by participants' responses. In addition, it served as a reminder that pesticide exposure can be reduced by each individual consumer while shopping.

Rachel Carson was the subject of a 1962 Life Magazine article in which she gave advice we still should heed: "Trusting so-called authority is not enough. A sense of personal responsibility is what we desperately need."

[Note: The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), passed in 1996, will, we are told, lead to the eventual withdrawal of carcinogenic pesticides. Until this takes place, the Act permits exposure to "negligible risk" carcinogenic residues in food. Interestingly, the Delaney Clause, which was in place before Silent Spring's publication, had called for zero tolerance for pesticide residues in food, and was abolished with enactment of the FQPA. Under the FQPA, the EPA will give more attention to the effects of pesticides on children, but this will not be done immediately. While we applaud the EPA effort, consumers still need to exercise personal responsibility while waiting for the regulations to work, and hoping that they will.]

Due to space constraints we couldn't provide each speaker's presentation but individual copies are available and a few Conference Proceedings books can still be purchased for $15.00. Specific references are given when they are other than the conference presentations. Please feel free to contact RCC with any questions.

~ Dr. Diana Post, Executive Director

Glossary term:

Relative risk is the increased chance of getting the cancer over 1 (the reference or normal cancer rate). Relative risk compares a test population or person with the control population or person. A relative risk of 1 means that the exposed person is not at any increased cancer risk compared to the control or unexposed person. A relative risk of 2 means that an exposed person is twice as likely to get cancer as an unexposed person. A relative risk of 4.0 with a 95% confidence range of 3-5 is a very significant risk and can not be explained away by chance. However, the same relative risk of 4.0 with a 95% confidence range (or interval) of 0.5-7.5 is not very convincing because the range includes a risk of 1.0, which means no increased risk. Therefore, such a relative risk is said to be non-significant or, to express it another way, the result could have occurred by chance.

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'Cide Lines

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1. Zoos, Birds and Vegetation

2. Cutting Edge Tech Cuts Farmers

3. From Grass to Carpets - Pesticides Moving In

4. More Research Needed on Estrogen Related Synergism

5. Earthworms + Sewage Sludge = Toxic Timebomb

6. Five OPs That Bear Watching

7. Drifting Off Target

8. Hope for an Ecosystem

9. Less Hazardous Pest Controls for A National Symbol

10. Trespassing Honeybees or Trespassing Toxics?

( 1 ) Zoos, Birds and Vegetation

A radio commercial advertising the broad-spectrum herbicide RoundUp, has a San Diego Wild Animal Park horticulturist describing the product's use at the Park and at his home as well. He claims that wild birds appreciate the weed-free yard. Strangely, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, seemed to associate itself with this commercial.

Well, what's wrong with that? For caged birds (like those in the Zoo) or backyard birds being provided with millet and sunflower seed, weeds are probably unnecessary. Wild birds have different requirements. Their welfare is closely related to all types of vegetation, including what we call weeds.

Goldfinches do not consider thistle to be a noxious plant. The seeds that we buy to feed them come from a relative of the "weed." As Rachel Carson wrote in Silent Spring: "Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow." (before herbicides)

Recently The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) released a report on the adverse impacts of long term pesticide use:

  1. Herbicides can reduce the abundance of the weeds and seeds which provide a food source for birds in winter, and for some species during their breeding season.
  2. Herbicides can reduce the number of plants which are hosts to insects, thus reducing the abundance of invertebrates which depend on them. In fact, declines in English songbird species may be linked to widespread herbicide use.

Do not we all depend on plants? As Rachel Carson wrote in the "Earth's Green Mantle" chapter of Silent Spring: "The earth's vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relations between plants and the earth, between plants and other plants, between plants and animals....[when we disturb these relationships]...what we do may have consequences remote in time and place."

Why wait until the birds, the insects or ourselves are measurably threatened before we decide that pesticides are contributing to the problem? Zoos and other local community associations need to know about the RSPB study. Every reader should obtain a copy of this information from RCC and send it to them.

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( 2 ) Cutting-Edge Tech Cuts Farmers

On more than 30,000 cotton-producing acres of Mississippi there has been a problem with the new, technology-driven, genetically-engineered, RoundUp Ready® cotton crop. Moderate to serious yield losses due to shedding or deformation of cotton-producing bolls have been found this year, raising farmers' concern about compensation. A local USDA scientist has stated that the farmers "have valid complaints" about the new seed and that "if this [RoundUp Ready® cotton seed] were a car, it would be recalled." Seed from the new genetically-engineered cotton is processed for oil used in the snack food industry. Agricultural officials are now conducting chemical analyses of seed from RoundUp Ready® cotton. They want to assure that the seeds' herbicide residue in the oil is not exceeding the federal limit of 15 parts per million. (The Clarion Ledger, September, 1997).

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( 3 ) From Grass to Carpets -- Pesticides Moving In

The phenoxy herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba were found in house dust and carpet dust as the result of being tracked indoors from turf. Transport of lawn-applied herbicides into the home from walking on treated turf has been measured for up to 1 week after the outdoor application. Once indoors, the residues could be present for up to a year. This is especially significant for children whose hand-to-mouth activity promotes ingestion of contaminated carpet dust. Residues of the pesticides carbaryl and chlorothalonil applied to gardens have been measured in indoor air and house dust and are thought to have reached the indoors through tracking. (Nishioka, Env. Sci. & Tech., (30), 11:3313-3320, 1996)

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( 4 ) More Research Needed on Estrogen-Related Synergism

Synergism indisputably takes place in various chemical combinations. An article by McLauchlan et al. was published in the June 7, 1996 issue of Science in which a mixture of endosulfan and dieldrin, two organochlorines, appeared to produce an estrogenic effect 1600 times more potent than each chemical acting alone. The study has been retracted by a July 25, 1997 letter to Science due to the inability of the original researchers to replicate it. Future research may well yet show that this effect is taking place in natural systems under these or other conditions.

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( 5 ) Earthworms + Sewage Sludge = Toxic Timebombs

Increasing concentrations of heavy metals were found in earthworms from an old field after long-term nutrient enrichment with a sewage sludge product. Significant accumulations of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc were found in rodents which were fed earthworms from the sewage sludge-amended soil. Additional studies are needed to determine the degree of risk posed by these metals due to biomagnification in amphibians, reptiles, birds as well as mammals for whom worms are an important food source. (Brewer, Bull. Envir. Contam. Tox. 1995, 54:120-127)

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( 6 ) Five OPs That Bear Watching

The UN-FAO "watch list" of most hazardous pesticides has 5 new organophosphate (OP) insecticide additions: methyl parathion, methamidophos, monocrotophos, parathion and phosphamidon. Under the voluntary system, exports are preceded by notification from the country of origin for permission to ship. "These pesticides pose a considerable risk to the health of many small farmers and agricultural workers because they cannot be handled safely," says a spokesperson for FAO. Methyl parathion is not only hazardous as used in agriculture but even more so when diverted for non-agricultural use such as in the home. Methyl parathion has resulted in deaths and sickness of residents, as well as millions of dollars in cleanup costs in the southeast U.S. following indoor applications. (PTCN, 9-24-97). See RCC's "Bad Biocide Bargain" for details on methyl parathion diversion.

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( 7 ) Drifting Off Target

Under spray-broadcast application systems now in place for agriculture, less than 1% of pesticides applied for pest control reach the target pests. More than 99% of pesticides used move into the environment and may drift on the wind. Health and environmental costs of pesticides' non-target effects include: "...human and domestic animal poisonings; beneficial natural enemy destruction; honey and wild bee kills; fish kills; development of pesticide resistance; destruction of non-target crops; bird and wild mammal kills; and pesticide contamination of groundwater." If the target insect pests could be attracted to pesticide-treated bait, the amounts of chemicals needed for pest control would be significantly reduced. Pesticide-poisoned bait for control of the corn rootworm can reduce the amount of pesticide now used for this pest by 99%. Bait-type technology uses less pesticide and helps reduce environmental pollution. Further research is needed on this and other alternatives to control insect pests. (Pimentel, David. J. Agri. Envir. Ethics (1995) 8:17-29)

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( 8 ) Hope for an Ecosystem

Monhegan, an island off the coast of Maine has preserved both its terrestrial and aquatic natural resources in a special and farsighted manner. In the 1940's, the island's lobster season was voluntarily limited to six months of the year and closed during the summer. In the mid 1950's, residents with the help of Environmentalist Ted Edison began preserving half of the island as wildlands. The result today is the hope that Monhegan will be able to sustain its children and grandchildren. (from The Ecology of Hope, Communities Collaborate for Sustainability)

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( 9 ) Less Hazardous Pest Control for a National Symbol

A new indoor bait system for controlling subterranean termites has helped preserve the Statue of Liberty and avoided chemical contamination of the island home of this symbol of American freedom. If it is made available to pest control companies, this technique could greatly reduce the amount of liquid pesticide injected into the soil. (7-3-97 PR Newswire)

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( 10 ) Trespassing Honeybees or Trespassing Toxics?

In addressing the liability of those who harm bees with chemical pesticides, The Maryland Pesticide Applicator's Manual (P94/V94/R96) states: "If bees in hives are killed as the result of drift, the applicator is held legally responsible, and often must pay damages. If bees contacted the pesticide in sprayed fields, the applicator usually is not liable; the courts have ruled that the bee is trespassing and that the land does not need to be safe for uninvited animals." The absurdity of designating bees and not toxic chemicals as trespassers appears to have been lost on the judges and the authors of this manual.

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A Misconception Stops Here

Two sources, 1) A chart purported to be an excerpt from a "1989 Rutgers study" and 2) A contributor to the #88 Summer 1996 RCC News both indicated that organically-grown produce had higher levels of minerals and trace nutrients than conventionally-grown produce. Before publishing our #88 News we tried unsuccessfully to obtain a copy of the "1989" study from Rutgers University for verification.

We now have a copy of the "Firrnan Bear Report" as it is called, which actually dates from 1948 not 1989. It was originally intended to measure how the "mineral content of the crops varied across the country according to fertility and soil type." It did not, however, compare the nutrient content of organically-grown produce with that which is grown conventionally.

In future, a controlled comparison between organic and conventional produce of their trace nutrient content may find organic superior. Although it would be welcome, we don't need such a benchmark to realize what compelling advantages are found in organic over chemical farming methods. They include reduced contamination of the ecosystem, decreased health risks of farm workers and those living downwind from the treated fields, and reduced consumption of pesticides by children and other vulnerable populations.

If this experience has a redeeming feature it is the opportunity for us, with help from the National Organic Farming Association (NOFA), to shed light on a common misconception in the organic community and beyond.

(The August/September 1995 News of NOFA, Massachusetts Chapter, chronicled the origin and dissemination of misleading information attributed to Rutgers in "The Rumor.")

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What's New?

New Council publication: Journey to the Edge of the Sea by Daniel Salomon is a tender, lighthearted yet highly-researched and instructive travelogue for families about the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research reserve off Beaufort, North Carolina. With relevant quotes from Rachel Carson, technical descriptions from a marine biologist and 15 year-old Daniel's remarkable observations, this booklet truly conveys a sense of wonder. (26 pp., 1997 - Available from RCC for $6.00)

A new Rachel Carson biography was released so close to our newsletter publication date that a review could not be prepared in time. It appeared to be well received by various reviewers. Here are excerpts of Mike Wieilbachers piece from The Philadelphia Inquirer:

"Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the entire Rachel Carson story. And what a story it is!...Carson - daughter of Pennsylvania, [life-long resident of Maryland] and patron saint of American environmentalism - is a true hero whose life should be read, and this biography is a gift."

Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature by Linda Lear, Henry Holt, 1997 (Hardcover $35.00)

If you work for the U.S. government - You can make donations to Rachel Carson Council, Inc. through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) by indicating number 1103. The CFC is an important source of funds for the Council and a convenient way for you to give at work.

Upcoming newsletters will address these and other interesting topics in the months ahead:

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Last year RCC responded to more than 2,000 contacts from the public. They included purchases of publications and requests for information. The subjects of interest were pesticide toxicity, less toxic pest control methods, and Rachel Carson. Let us hear from you!

Rachel Carson Council, Inc.

PO Box 10779, Silver Spring, Maryland 20914

e-mail: rccouncil@aol.com

Phone: (301) 593-7507

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10/26/98