Pesticides suspected in fish kill Toxic waters Dozens of fish k...

You call this jounalism? Before you get the community in an uproar, check your facts!! The headline was yours and was nothing but pure sensationalism. Maybe your paper needs to be called the Estes Park Enquirer.

You call this journalism? Before you get the community in an uproar, check your facts!! The headline was yours and was pure sensationalism. Maybe your paper needs to be called the Estes Park Enquirer.

I am going to try and post some interesting and well resourced (footnoted) information about the "Carbaryl" insecticide Lita was exposed to in parts...

The footnotes & sources will be posted with the last part I publish here...

Part 1 of Many

Carbaryl Insecticide Hazard Data
and Less Toxic or Non-Toxic Alternatives
Carbaryl is classified as moderately to very toxic, and is classified as a likely human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the Environmental Protection Agency. 2, 10

Part 2 of Many...

Human Health Hazards

· Carbaryl is classified as a likely human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the EPA. 2, 10
· Carbaryl is a cholin- esterase inhibitor, which means that inhalation or ingestion of very large amounts, or small amounts over time, can be toxic to the nervous and respiratory systems.2 Although long-term neurological effects on humans have not been conducted due to the toxicity of carbaryl, studies of this insecticide show possible association with Parkinson's Disease, as well as other neurological diseases.6,51
· A family of chemicals, called carbamates, is of potential concern to humans. Carbaryl is a carbamate chemical. Carbamates work by interfering with the transmission of nerve signals. The chemical process they attack is common to insects, humans, dogs and cats, so they harm more than just the target insect. Indeed, thousands of acute toxic poisonings have been logged at poison control centers across the United States.6

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Part 3 of Many...

· Ample evidence suggests the possibility of worrisome long-term effects for children exposed to these products at an early age, including later-in-life cancer and perhaps Parkinson?s disease.6
· Carbaryl is a neurotoxin. 23, 43,47,51 Children, and particularly toddlers, are especially vulnerable. Their nervous systems are still developing, so the damage done can be greater and more lasting.6
· Carbaryl is a carbamate insecticide. It inhibits the action of an enzyme, acetyl cholinesterase, which is essential in the transmission of nerve impulses across nerve junctions, and an essential component of mammal nervous systems.7,16
· Carbaryl also inhibits enzymes required for detoxification, which are important to the functioning of the immune system. 7, 14, 15
· A study on hazardous air pollutants shows that carbaryl is a compound that evokes asthma symptoms and has documented case reports in the medical literature associating exposure with asthma. 52 Like organophosphates, carbamates also cause respiratory problems.53,54

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Part 4 of Many

· Acute symptoms of carbaryl toxicity include nausea, sweating, blurring of vision, non-coordination, tremors and convulsions. Low doses can also cause minor skin and eye irritation.2
· There is some human mutagenic data from studies.(Mutagenic means able to cause mutations.)2 Longterm studies in Austria and Sweden show mutagenicity.17,18 According to MYCODEX Material Safety Data Sheet, carbaryl produced reproductive and teratogenic effects at high dose levels. 54
· Carbaryl is moderately to highly toxic to non-target organisms, including humans. Carbaryl can produce adverse effects in humans by skin contact, inhalation or ingestion. Direct contact of the skin or eyes with moderate levels of this pesticide can cause burns.2
· Carbaryl is banned in Austria for all uses. Studies there have shown mutagenic and teratogenic potential, and high level of danger to human health and environment.17, 18
· Carbaryl is banned in Sweden for use as a pesticide and all other uses. The substance was suspended in Austria due to its mutagenicity (mutation-causing ability) and suspected carcinogenicity (cancer-causing ability).17,18

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Part 5 of Many

· Carbaryl in the product Sevin 25ULV and Sevin 5PP is banned for use in Angola. No remaining uses are allowed. The substance is banned due to studies showing toxicity to human health and the environment.17,18
· In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency curtailed the use of some carbaryl products used around homes, and noted "concern" about exposures as adults do yard work or children play on carbaryl-treated lawns. 22,46

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Part 6 of Many

Aquatic Health Hazards

· Carbaryl is extremely toxic to aquatic and estuarine invertebrates, including insects and crustaceans, and moderately to highly toxic to fish.1, 41 This underlines the need to keep any carbaryl spray away from all bodies of water, which is why spraying close to water is legally prohibited. However, several sightings have been reported of carbaryl being sprayed by the Town of Grand Lake and THC Enterprises along Grand Lake in the channel at Point Park and on Moose Lake in the summer of 2007.3
· The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a letter to the EPA in 2005, said it was concerned about cabaryl?s risks to threatened and endangered species, and noted "a growing body of literature" about the chronic effects of carbaryl on aquatic organisms.22,26
· The pesticide carbaryl caused a 12% heart defect rate at 1.1 ppm in fish. Also, when carbaryl and malathion were combined at these same levels - there was a 50% heart defect rate in the fish.9, 49
· Carbaryl is toxic to aquatic organisms, such as rainbow trout and bluegill. Some accumulation of carbaryl can occur in catfish, crawfish and snails, as well as in algae and duckweed. It is also harmful to salmon.22,44,45
· Carbaryl has been demonstrated to adversely affect aquatic species such as mollusks and trout. Carbaryl is lethal to some aquatic insects and to some forms of shellfish such as shrimp and crabs.7,45
· Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria that produce toxins) have been found in Grand Lake and elsewhere in Grand County since 2004.40 Blue-green algae become toxic when they produce toxins as a result of being chemically agitated. The insecticide carbaryl is one example of a possible agitating factor.3

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Part 7 of Many

· Since 2004, carbaryl in Sevin and a variety of other pesticides has been banned from use within protective buffers along salmon streams in Washington, Oregon and California. And in 2005, a federal judge in Seattle, Washington ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to inform consumers about the dangers posed to salmon by carbaryl and other insecticides.2,45
· Carbaryl is a carbamate insecticide. It inhibits the action of an enzyme, acetyl cholinesterase, which is essential in the transmission of nerve impulses across nerve junctions, and an essential component of insect, fish, bird and mammal nervous systems.7,16
· Studies show that carbaryl also inhibits enzymes required for detoxification, which are important to the functioning of the immune system.7,14,15
· The EPA states that carbaryl poses ecological risks, and is in particular highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates.7,11,23
· Carbaryl has very significant harmful effects on fish and wildlife, some of which have been described in the EPA's carbaryl IRED (2003).7,23
· Carbaryl is considered moderately to highly toxic to aquatic organisms, with the list of those easily impacted including trout species. For freshwater fish, the endangered species list of concerns is met or exceeded for all crops, indicating that carbaryl poses a threat to endangered fish (EPA 2003). In addition, because of carbaryl's very high toxicity to freshwater invertebrates, its use affects the food supply for fish such as salmon. 7, 23

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Part 8 of Many

· Carbaryl has been shown to bio-accumulate in such aquatic species as catfish, crawfish, snails, as well as in algae and duckweed, with residue levels being 140 times greater in fish than the concentration in water. Moderately toxic means the pesticide has the potential to significantly affect aquatic organisms and furthers the need for additional environmental analysis. 2, 7, 24
· The EPA considers carbaryl to be "very highly toxic" to estuarine/marine invertebrates and other aquatic animals including salmon. 7, 11
· Studies cited by the EPA found that a large percentage of tadpoles exposed to carbaryl developed malformations, and that tadpoles exposed to carbaryl had slower growth.23 In addition, a recent study found that levels of carbaryl thought to be non-lethal to tree frog tadpoles became lethal when administered to the tadpoles in the presence of a caged predator.7, 25
· In addition, when EPA consulted with US Fish and Wildlife Service for various uses of carbaryl, the US Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that the registration and subsequent uses of carbaryl would likely place 86 species in jeopardy.7, 26 It is therefore reasonable to expect that carbaryl application adversely impacts endangered, threatened, sensitive and any other type of listed species of concern whose habitat is within, or range may include the sprayed areas.7

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Part 9 of Many

Health Hazards to Dogs, Other Pets and Mammals

· Based on the data available, it appears that hundreds and probably thousands of pets have been injured or killed through exposure to pet products containing pesticides such as carbaryl. This has often resulted from the carbaryl in pet flea collars. As with small children, pets cannot report when they're being poisoned at low doses.6
· The Natural Resources Defense Council has called on retailers to remove toxic pesticides such as carbaryl products from their shelves, and has called on the EPA to immediately ban the use of carbamate and organophosphate pet pesticides. 6
· Research has found that carbaryl can affect the immune system in animals.2
· Experiments have been conducted on various strains of animals finding that reproductive and birth defects have occurred in dogs exposed to carbaryl.2
· The EFED [Environmental Fate and Effects Division, EPA] found high risks for mammals from carbaryl application, particularly for small and medium-sized mammals. For large size mammals, the findings included acute restricted use, and that endangered species level of concern (LOCs) are exceeded following application on trees.7,19
· In the EPA's IRED for carbaryl (2003) its own conclusion is that carbaryl is highly likely to harm mammals of all sizes when used in what are very common applications, such as for trees.7,19
· Besides the effects on vital enzyme production, several studies have found that carbaryl also adversely affects immune system function and reproduction for mammals.7, 20, 21

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Part 10 of Many

Health Hazards to Non-Target Beneficial Insects

· Carbaryl is lethal to many non-target beneficial insects such as ladybug beetles and parasitic wasps, some aquatic insects and to some forms of shellfish such as shrimp and crabs. It is acutely toxic to honeybees and can destroy colonies of bees that are foraging in an area where the chemical has been applied. 2
· Carbaryl is totally banned in Germany. Germany cites carbaryl's threat to bees in hives and bee broods as reason for ban. Studies show cause of poisoning effect in the stomach via contaminated pollen and nectar. Honeybees are important to Germany's agricultural industry. 17, 18
· Using toxic chemicals such as carbaryl has adverse impacts on populations of bark beetle predators that are important in regulating bark beetle populations. Birds (woodpeckers and hundreds of others), predaceous beetles (blackbellied clerid and trogossitid beetles), a predaceous fly, and parasitic wasps are all natural enemies of the western pine beetle (UC IPM).7,8
· Research has found that carbaryl can affect the immune system in insects and animals.2 Carbaryl spraying inevitably impacts ecologically important native insects and pollinators.7
· The EPA states carbaryl poses ecological risks, particularly to honey bees ... 10 Carbaryl has very significant harmful effects on beneficial insects ... some of which have been described in the EPA's carbaryl IRED39. Carbaryl is determined to be highly toxic to bees, as reported by the EPA 2003, IRED pg.45.39
· Carbaryl has been shown to be lethal to many non-target insects, including bees and beneficial insects. 2,10,24 In fact the EPA states carbaryl is very highly toxic on an acute exposure basis to honey bees. 11
· In view of EPA findings, repeated heavy soakings with large quantities of carbaryl on scattered trees, from the ground up to 35 feet, with high potential for drift and off-target pesticide movement, very likely has a negative impact on native and residential bee and beneficial insect populations. The spraying may actually kill bark beetle predators and increase bark beetle problems in the very stands where prevention and protection is most needed.7

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Part 11 of Many

· There has been much public concern over the toxicity of carbaryl to honeybees as documented by comments submitted to the EPA by NRDC, CATs and a list of concerned parties.7, 27, 28
· Carbaryl is highly toxic to honeybees. The EPA reports that carbaryl is highly toxic to honeybees, and is often implicated in bee mortality incidents. The Environmental Fate and Effects Division of the EPA, EFED, reports that numerous bee kill incidents have been recorded for carbaryl in several states (EPA 2002). This is of great concern to Natural Resources Defense Council, and to the EPA, given the critically important role that bees play through plant fertilization and pollen dissemination we find it both morally repugnant and economically suicidal to apply toxic chemicals that contribute to bee mortality. 7,19,27,28
· Environmental groups, agriculture representatives, and the EPA share this concern. NRDC therefore asks that the EPA act swiftly to end carbaryl application practices that result in bee kills. 7, 27
· Because bees forage over wide ranges, and are especially prevalent during wildflower blooming periods, spring spraying (and associated drift and non-targeted spray victims) may be causing significant mortality for native bee and honeybee farm populations. 7

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Part 12 of Many

Specific Human Health Hazards: Firefighters and Manufacturers

· Carbaryl spray poses dangers to firefighters and others near burning trees which have been sprayed with carbaryl, according to International Programme On Chemical Safety (IPCS). Fumes from carbaryl decomposition products are highly toxic.2, 41 Fire decomposition products from carbaryl products may form toxic and corrosive mixtures.39,41
· IPCS warns that if carbaryl is involved in a major fire or in a fire involving other products, advise the fire service that protective clothing and breathing apparatus should be worn, because toxic decomposition products, such as nitrogen oxides, methylamine, and carbon monoxide may be formed. 48
· Carbaryl poses risks of concern to occupational handlers who mix, load, and apply the pesticide, and to workers who may be exposed upon re-entering treated areas.11
· Workers in factories that manufacture the carbaryl products are at great risk. One manufacturing method uses methyl isocyanate (MIC), the agent responsible for thousands of deaths in Bhopal, India when a Union Carbide Sevin manufacturing plant leaked the deadly gas in 1984. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 16,000 people died and many hundreds of thousands were injured in the surrounding area. The manufacturing plant is now abandoned but a Greenpeace scientific survey recently found major chemical and heavy metal contamination persists. 2

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Part 13 of Many

Bird Health Hazards

· The EPA's assessment is that chronic exposure to carbaryl is likely to harm birds. This was the only assessment done on birds, yet for all of the assessed uses, risk quotients for birds were exceeded (EPA 2003, IRED). Considerations must me made regarding the impacts of carbaryl spray on local and native bird species. The impacts may affect bird offspring, juveniles and the reproductive process.7, 19
· Carbaryl is a carbamate insecticide. It inhibits the action of an enzyme, acetyl cholinesterase, which is essential in the transmission of nerve impulses across nerve junctions, and an essential component of insect, fish, bird and mammal nervous systems (Morgan 1989). It also inhibits enzymes required for detoxification, which are important to the functioning of the immune system (Gay and Ehrich 1990, Parafita 1984). 7
· Carbaryl spray may significantly impact rare and sensitive wildlife and vegetative species.7
· Hundreds of species of birds diets consist solely or mainly of insects, many of which carbaryl kills. In fact, it is estimated that carbaryl kills approximately 100 non-target insects. Therefore, the diet of many birds is reduced or eliminated with carbaryl spray, adversely affecting these birds.10

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Part 14 of Many

Adverse Effects to Forests and Other Plants

· Separate trees are soaked in carbaryl up to approximately 35 feet, releasing a lot of the toxic chemical into the environment. Carbaryl toxicological effects require further EPA documentation and environmental analyses.7
· Pesticides may lower the overall biodiversity of the ecosystem and create unnecessary risks.7
· Carbaryl can be toxic to vegetation. The trees being treated can uptake the carbaryl, succumb to stress, and provide a suitable medium for the establishment of the bark beetle, and furthering the prospective problem. The carbaryl is likely to affect surrounding vegetation, specifically shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Carbaryl is capable of killing this vegetation and contributing to the already existing high fuel levels. The spraying inevitably impacts ecologically important native insects and pollinators. 7
· Spraying carbaryl may actually be defeating its own purposes in saving trees. Applying a chemical that has been proven to cross biological lines and adversely affect non-targeted species may actually reduce the defenses of these precious Lodgepole Pine trees.7
· Carbaryl has been shown to have adverse effects on plant populations, including effects on reproduction, 29 growth 30 and photosynthesis 31. In addition, carbaryl has been shown to impact nitrogen-fixing bacteria by reducing growth and interfering with mechanisms of function. 32, 33, 34
· Potential impacts to non-target plant species also need to be evaluated with further environmental analysis. 7

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Part 15 of Many

Pollution from Carbaryl Drift, Even When Applied Correctly

· Carbaryl is sprayed from the ground up to approximately 35 feet high on trees using a high-pressure wand. The applicator must thoroughly drench the main trunk to be effective, which inevitably results in unintended contact by non-targeted species through drift, miss-spray, and runoff. Under moderate (5-7 miles per hour) wind conditions, aerially applied carbaryl has shown to drift up to 2 miles.7, 12
· Even under stable wind and atmospheric conditions aerially applied carbaryl drifted about 500 yards. Spraying up 35 feet from ground level, while it isn't as irresponsible as aerial spraying, will have drift that begins to approach that of aerial applications. Even ground applications have been shown to drift three times farther (up to 150 yards) when temperature inversions are present. This means that 50-yard drift from ground applications can be reasonably expected 7,50
· By spraying carbaryl from a ground-based rig to a height of approximately 35 feet, applicators will be introducing the element of drift to the treatment. Toxic drift enables the chemical to be transported, potentially miles, off-site and become deposited in soil, water, and even human population centers. Carbaryl spray should be kept away from humans.7
· Some studies report that carbaryl persists up to 8 months in the air.7

To be continued...

Part 16 of Many

Worldwide Carbaryl Bans and Petitions

· Since 2004, carbaryl in Sevin and a variety of other pesticides has been banned from use within protective buffers along salmon streams in Washington, Oregon and California. And in 2005, a federal judge in Seattle, Washington ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to inform consumers about the dangers posed to salmon by carbaryl and other insecticides. 2
· Carbaryl is banned in Austria for all uses. Studies there have shown mutagenic and teratogenic potential, and high level of danger to human health and environment.17, 18
· Carbaryl is banned in Sweden for use as a pesticide and all other uses. The substance is suspended in Austria due to its mutagenicity and suspected carcinogenicity.17, 18
· Carbaryl is totally banned in Germany. Germany cites carbaryl's threat to bees in hives and bee broods as reason for ban. Studies show cause of poisoning effect in the stomach via contaminated pollen and nectar. Honeybees are important to Germany's agricultural industry.17, 18
· Carbaryl is banned for use in Angola. No remaining uses are allowed. The substance is banned due to studies showing toxicity to human health and the environment.17, 18
· Much controversy exists regarding the use of carbaryl as evidenced by a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Californians for Alternatives to Toxins (CATs), and a number of other concerned groups, to cancel carbaryl, due to its unreasonable risks on the environment, as prohibited by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136(bb) & 136a.7,13
· In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency curtailed the use of some carbaryl products used around homes, and noted "concern" about exposures as adults do yard work or children play on carbaryl-treated lawns.22

To be continued...

Part 17 of Many

Water Source Contamination by Carbaryl

· In 2002, as the diazinon phase-out took hold, sales of carbaryl soared more than tenfold at several retail chains tracked by King County officials in Washington. Also, that year, carbaryl began to be detected more frequently in Thornton Creek in Washington.22
· National Academy of Science guidelines recommend that aquatic carbaryl levels not exceed 0.02 parts per billion. At Thornton Creek in 2002, four of the water samples tested by the U.S. Geological Survey detected carbaryl at levels ranging from 0.054 parts per billion to 0.48 parts per billion, exceeding the acceptable limit by two to twenty-four times. Since 2002, five other water samples tested for carbaryl at levels that exceeded the National Academy of Science's guidelines, according to data released by the U.S. Geological Survey.22,44,45
· Carbaryl has been detected in groundwater in California, in at least three separate cases 2,35,36. Carbaryl is widely found as a pollutant in surface water. Based on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) 37 National Ambient Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) database 38, carbaryl is the second most widely detected insecticide, with a significant portion apparently transported to streams (Environmental Protection Agency 2003a).7,39
· Out of 5,220 surface water samples analyzed, about 21%(1,082) had detections greater than the minimum detection limit (0.063 ppb). The Environmental Protection Agency's modeling estimates acute carbaryl surface water concentrations of 44.9 to 410.4 Œºg/l and chronic carbaryl concentrations of 2.05 to 18.6 Œºg /l.7, 10
· Although national water quality criteria still need to be established for carbaryl, criteria using essentially the same procedure have been derived for California. All of the estimated acute concentrations exceed the California carbaryl acute water quality criteria, and most of the estimated chronic concentrations exceed the carbaryl chronic water quality criteria.7

To be continued...

Part 18 of Many

Less Toxic, & Natural Mountain Pine Beetle Controls

· There are many non-toxic or less-toxic means of dealing with beetles, without resorting to the use of chemicals, no matter what their level of toxicity. Here are some non-toxic or less toxic remedies.
· Arborjet is developing a new trunk injectable insecticide to control bark beetle infestation. Research results from 2004 to present, have shown high efficacy of this new insecticide against pine bark beetle. This new trunk injectable product is used with the Tree I.V. and will be available soon. Call Arborjet for more details at 1-866-272-6758. 42
· In the interim: Arborjet uses a trunk Micro-infusionTM of Ornazin 3% EC. The botanical Ornazin 3% EC may also be used. Ornazin 3% EC is manufactured by SePRO. The active ingredient in Ornazin 3% EC is azadirachtin, derived from the neem tree. Azadirachtin is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents the development to the adult insect. Azadirachtin also acts to deter feeding. Select the Tree I.V. device with the VIPER method for a trunk Micro-infusion into conifers. The Tree I.V. uses low pressure to deliver formulation and to overcome the resinous flow of many conifers. 42
· Botanical insecticides like pyrethrum and rotenone.2
· A kaolin clay product is also available to be used as a spray. It creates a non-toxic particle film that places a barrier between a pest and its host plant and also has reflective properties that disguise the tree.2†
· A spray made with a mix of one ounce of wood ashes, one ounce of hydrated lime and one gallon of water has been effective. Spray both upper and lower branch surfaces.2
· Predator insects, such as tachnid flies, parasitic nematodes and braconid wasps, or lacewings and ladybugs may be introduced, which eat the eggs.(Note that carbaryl in Sevin kills some of these beneficial insects!) 2
· Continue to remove dead and/or unhealthy trees. Removing dead and/or unhealthy trees provides reduced fuels as well as reduced bark beetle habitat. Additionally, such a thinning strategy could be implemented over a much larger area with comparable costs and larger returns. Healthy strong trees are considered to be at greatly reduced risk of bark beetle induced mortality.7 Bark beetles commonly attack trees weakened or predisposed to infestation by drought, disease, injuries, or other factors that may stress the tree. Beetles can contribute to the decline and eventual death of trees but with a few exceptions usually are not the initial cause 7, 8 Reduce inter-tree, shrub and other competition.7
· The experts warn: "Do not substitute preventive sprays for proper cultural care" (UC IPM). The experts focus on cultural care as opposed to shortsighted antiquated insecticide reliant protection measures. "Healthy trees are less likely to be attacked and are better able to survive the damage from a few bark beetles" (UC IPM). 7, 8 Crowded or stressed trees are also more susceptible to bark beetle invasion and potential mortality,(UC IPM).7,8
· Pruning infested limbs and removing dying or dead trees in stands of or nearby trees is key for protection. Experts warn not to prune during adult beetle flight season.7
· Remove fallen wood and other bark beetle habitat from stands (UC IPM).7,8
· The manual removal of shrubs and small trees helps reduce competition and provide additional moisture and nutrients while reducing hazardous fuels for added survival potential of pines.7
·(Spraying separate trees, scattered over an entire forest cannot constitute improving a stand, as this only protects individual trees.7)

To be continued...