Aldicarb: A Case Series of Watermelon-Borne Carbamate Toxicity

Details

• Personal Author:
  D'Haenens JP ; Farquhar PN ; Higgins SA ; Langley RL ; McDonald KW ; Meggs WJ ; Scott R
• Description:
  Improper use of pesticides on food plants can result in significant toxicity. In spite of regulations, enforcement, and prior episodes of poisonings, poisonings from misapplication of pesticides continues to occur. The objective of this study was to present a case series of toxicity resulting from ingestion of watermelon inappropriately treated with the carbamate insecticide aldicarb. A restrospective review of medical records, impounding the suspected watermelons, and chemical analysis of the watermelon samples using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy were carried out. Seven farm workers shared a watermelon and presented to a rural emergency department with symptoms of cholinergic poisoning. They were treated empirically with atropine and pralidoxime. The farmer denied use of insecticides other than rat poison on the watermelon patch. Chemical analyst verified aldicarb in the watermelon samples from the field, but none in control samples. Despite government regulations, application of restricted pesticides such as aldicarb continues to occur and cause significant poisonings. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Carbamates Farmers Hazardous Substances Insecticides Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers Aldicarb Author Keywords: Aldicarb Farm Workers Food Contaminants Food Poisoning Pesticides And Agricultural Chemicals Poisonings Toxins
• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  174-177
• Volume:
  18
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061677
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2013 Apr; 18(2):174-177
• Contact Point Address:
  William J. Meggs, MD, PhD, FACMT, FACEP, Division of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
• Email:
  meggsw@ecu.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Aldicarb (CAS RN 116-06-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20100701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• End Date:
  20150630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:79fda7ac766f111a8666d05765ec0219884634f0dd1d8d3ee20c95f2ae8e2bb4da963c2450df4fdd3e0d62b8d23bb1f5ebe9492012a7663fc988e298aa6b7cad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225126/cdc_225126_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 284.27 KB ]