27
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 27, 2009) U.S. District Judge Paul Huck (Miami) has said a multimillion dollar judgment against U.S. food giant Dole and the Dow Chemical Company cannot be enforced because, “[T]he judgment was rendered under a system which does not provide impartial tribunal or procedures compatible with the requirements of due process of law, and the rendering court did not have jurisdiction over Defendants.†A trial court in Chinandega, Nicaragua, had awarded the money in 2005 to 150 Nicaraguan citizens who believe they were injured by exposure to the pesticide dibromochloropropoane, or DBCP, when they worked on Dole banana plantations between 1970 and 1982. This actiion was taken despite findings in the U.S. that DBCP causes sterility and regulatory action to remove it from the market. The trial court awarded Plaintiffs approximately $97 million under “Special Law 364,†enacted by the Nicaraguan legislature in 2000 specifically to handle DBCP claims. The average award was approximately $647,000 per plaintiff. According to the Nicaraguan trial court, these sums were awarded to compensate plaintiffs for DBCP-induced infertility and its accompanying adverse psychological effects. In similar cases in the past, the companies have refused to pay. Dow Chemical has called such judgments “unenforceable†[…]
Posted in Agriculture, Chemicals, Corporations, DBCP, Disease/Health Effects, Dole, Dow Chemical, Environmental Justice, Farmworkers, Infertility, International | No Comments »
26
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 26, 2009) A new study conducted in China finds that people with organophosphate pesticides in their homes are more likely to have suicidal thoughts. According to the study, “Pesticide exposure and suicidal ideation in rural communities in Zhejiang province, China,†published in the October issue of the WHO Bulletin, there is biological evidence that chronic low-grade exposure to organophosphate pesticides, which are very easily absorbed into the body through the skin and lungs, may have adverse effects on mental health. The study was carried out in the central/coastal region of China, a relatively wealthy area with a rapidly developing economy. In a very large survey of mental health in rural community residents, participants were also asked about how they stored pesticides. The study found that people who stored pesticides at home, i.e. those with more exposure, were more likely to report recent suicidal thoughts. Supporting this, the survey also found suicidal thoughts to be associated with how easily accessible these pesticides were in the home and that the geographic areas with highest home storage of pesticides also had highest levels of suicidal thoughts in their populations. “Organophosphate pesticides are widely used around the world. They are particularly […]
Posted in Agriculture, Chemicals, Methamidophos, organophosphate, Suicide | No Comments »
