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Sri Lanka Bans Two Toxic Pesticides
by Adam Kirshner
On June 1, 1995, Sri Lanka will ban the broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticides methamidiphos and monocrotophos on grounds of potential hazards to users who do not abide by the required precautions, according to the Sri Lankan Registrar of Pesticides. In a March 1995 announcement, the Director of the Seed Certification and Plant Protection Centre declared the phaseout of these pesticides, and recommended the insecticides chlorpyrifos and dimethoate as "safer alternatives."
Monocrotophos and methamidophos are extremely toxic chemicals. Both are classified as World Health Organization (WHO) Ib pesticides, 1 and exposure to small amounts of either is enough to cause acute pesticide poisoning. As with other organophosphates, acute poisoning from these chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, neurological disorders and death. Exposure to monocrotophos presents additional threats, including possible genetic mutations, and psychological disorders of depression and anxiety after repeated exposure. 2
Monocrotophos and methamidophos have been implicated in numerous poisonings, chronic illnesses and fatalities throughout the world. A 1987 study of pesticide dangers in northeast Nicaragua, prompted by an epidemic of 584 poisonings, determined that methamidophos and carbofuran were responsible for 77% of these poisonings. 3 A...