Were You Poisoned in Tulare County, Calif??

8/3/2019 Were You Poisoned in Tulare County, Calif??

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WERE YOU POISONED IN TULARE

COUNTY, CALIFORNIA???

Have you or your family been poisoned from the water you drink or the air you breathe? How would you know? Let’s review the

recent evidence so you can decide the health risks for yourself. First we will look at the occurrence of chronic diseases in Tulare

County which could be an indication of environmental exposure.

TULARE COUNTY DISEASES: (2003-2007)

1. Infant Mortality and birth defects – Tragically, Tulare County had one of the highest death rates from birth defects) in the

state. This was the leading cause of infant death in the county in 2005. This is well above the national average as is the rate of

miscarriage and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).2. Liver disease – The County had a very high death rate from liver diseases in the same period.

3. Diabetes – The County had an elevated risk of death from diabetes compared to the rest of California.

4. Cervical Cancer – Death was high for women in Tulare County and much of the San Joaquin Valley.

5. Childhood Chronic Diseases- In 2007, the percentage of children with at least one long-term, chronic condition in Tulare

County was 16%-19% which was high throughout the San Joaquin Valley compared to California and the U.S. The cause for

the childhood cancer cluster in Earlimart was never conclusively determined.

Next we will review the types of contaminants which could be contributing to the high rate of some chronic diseases in Tulare

County.

CONTAMINANTS:

1. Nitrates

Nitrates are chemicals which occur in many fertilizers and manures. Excessive nitrates have been known to cause Blue Baby

Syndrome due to lack of oxygen. Nitrates are known to be a contributing cause to stomach problems, Sudden Infant Death

Syndrome, birth defects and a host of cancers.



In 2007, more than 8 million pounds of nitrates were applied to Tulare County and another 8 million pounds of manure was

produced. The county has the highest production of animal waste in the state. Nitrates on land eventually contaminate water wells

and get into the water supply. In 2006, 40% of the water wells tested exceeded the maximum recommended nitrate level. The levels

of nitrate on land and the number of wells impacted by nitrate are increasing. About 90% of the population in the county is

dependent on groundwater. Towns such as Tooleville and Toneyville have had to close some wells due to excessive nitrates in

drinking water.

2. Pesticides

Several million pounds of pesticides were used in 2005 in Tulare County (3rd in Calif.) Furthermore the town of Lindsay, (along with

other communities) has one of the highest level of pesticide application in California. All pesticides have some health risks and these

risks increase when they are added together. Some specific health risks have been identified which resulted in the EPA determining

that they should not be used in the home. Yet, you and your family may still be exposed to these poisons.

Many pesticides used in the County have a questionable history and may be worse for your health when they are combined with

other toxins. Take Chlorpyrifos for example. This organophosphate pesticide (also called DURSBAN and LORSBAN) was disapproved

for home use in 2001 by the EPA for being neurotoxic and affecting brain development in fetuses. Yet, it is still licensed for

agricultural use and was sprayed in Tulare at a rate up to 130,000 pounds per square mile in 2006. Other countries have banned it

for agricultural uses including Canada, the EU, South Africa, and others. It has been associated with decreased IQ and increased rates

of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2010 publications. More recent research now shows a possible link to Gulf War

Syndrome and other autoimmune disorders. It has also been linked to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

This was the same poison that was implicated in the deaths of 7 tourists in northern Thailand in May 2011. They all died within 24

hours after inflammation of the heart. A 60 minutes Special Report from New Zealand investigated and found high levels of

Chlorpyrifos on the beds, window sills and floors in the same hotel where four of the tourists first became sick. New Zealand

scientists concluded it was concentrated enough to cause the symptoms and eventual deaths

In 2003, Dow Chemical, the manufacturer of Chlorpyrifos, was fined $2 million in New York for false advertising about the safety of

Dursban. This same company had previously been fined nearly a million dollars by the EPA for failing to report nearly 300 adverse



reactions due to Dursban. They reportedly paid a 10 million settlement to a paraplegic boy in West Virginia for pre-natal exposure to

this pesticide and others. These cases alone should have been cause for Dow to lose their license to distribute this toxic pesticide.

In 2007, the EPA was sued by NRDC and other environmental organizations to remove Chlorpyrifos from the list of approved

agricultural pesticides in the US. The EPA eventually completed a preliminary Health Risk Assessment and formulated a rule to phaseit out. They took comments until July 1, 2011. The chemical companies and growers objected and on August 24 2011 EPA extended

the comment period until October 1, 2011. On October 6, 2011, a request from 30 health professionals (pesticide ban request) was

sent to EPA calling for a complete ban on Chlorpyrifos. Much of the recent evidence they cite is from Calif. In September, 2011,

President Obama said that his administration would review EPA regulations that impact the economy. Will this be one of the EPA

regulations that the President or Congress will postpone!!] a. DBCP (dibromochloropropane)

According to the 2010 Groundwater Assessment for Tulare County (GAMA), the soil fumigant DBCP was used to controlnematodes. ”Prior to 1979, DBCP was widely applied to over 40 types of crops. In California, DBCP was primarily used on grapes

and tomatoes. DBCP was banned in the continental United States in 1979. However, DBCP travels easily in groundwater and may

persist in groundwater for long periods of time. In sunlight, DBCP is rapidly degraded. Data collected on workers involved in

manufacturing DBCP has shown that DBCP can cause sterility or other reproductive effects at very low levels of exposure.

http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/Chlorpyrifos_HCP_Oct%206%202011.pdf






There is some evidence that DBCP may have the potential to cause cancer with lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL...” In

1998 the USGS found 20% of domestic water wells in the Central Valley exceeded the recommended levels. Of the wells tested in

2010, eight wells in Tulare County were above the maximum contaminant limit (MCL) of 200 parts per billion.



Plantation workers in Latin America sued Dole the owners and Dow the manufacturers for causing sterility. The courts originally

awarded multimillion claims, but these were later voided due reportedly to widespread fraud.

3. Arsenic –

Arsenic is a known carcinogen and ingestion increases the risk of cancer in the liver, bladder, kidney, lung and skin as well as the

risk of atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack. Arsenic above the recommended standard for drinking water has also been

linked to kidney and liver damage, birth defects, neuropathy, diabetes, spontaneous abortions and reproductive problems

among others. Towns like Alpaugh on Tulare Lake have historically had arsenic levels in their water well above the current (<10

parts per billion) standard and have frequently exceeding the previous 50 ppb standard. In 2010, more than 10 %of the 10,000

wells tested in California exceeded this new standard. In Tulare County, about 2% of the domestic wells tested were above the

recommended drinking water standard

4. Perchlorate –

In 2010, the town of Lindsay sued a Chilean fertilizer manufacturer for perchlorate contamination of their water wells. In the U.

S this chemical is most often found in areas contaminated by rocket fuel. Perchlorate is known to interfere with iodide transport

and thyroid function which could impact brain health. Previously, this town had found pesticides in nearly 20% of air samples

that were above the recommended childhood reference exposure level. The majority of women who were tested in Lindsay hadlevels of Chlorpyrifos degradation products in their urine which EPA considers unsafe for pregnant and nursing women.

Finally, let’s look at ways you could determine if YOU have been poisoned? The state won’t tell you your individual exposure

because they generally only report county data. You wi ll have to prepare a personalized toxic exposure profile.

Begin by listing the addresses of your current and former long-term residences. Include the address of your mother at the time when

she was pregnant with you. Determine the sources of your drinking water (public system or private water wells). Gather the mo st

recent chemical analysis of your water and long term trends. Find out which kinds of pesticides and how much has been applied to



your areas. Review your distances from hazardous waste sites and their pollution and cleanup histories. Find out where the ne arest

toxic release sites of air and water pollution are located and determine the directions of spreading.

How can you use all of this information? Determining the types and amounts of toxic exposures can aid in chronic disease diagnosis

since some chemicals have been associated with certain diseases. It can also help your doctor to better determine treatmentoptions. It can help to anticipate chronic disease symptoms and their stages of progression. It will help your lawyer assign blame and

determine liability. Most importantly, it can help you to reduce current exposures to chemicals and to avoid and minimize future

environmental exposures.

All of this information is available on the internet if you have the time and patience to wade through the multiple data sources. If it

seems too much for one person to handle, then register your contact information on our website and we will do the work for you

(for a reasonable fee, of course).

Humans are the sum total of all that we have been exposed to during our lifetimes. The prevalence of thousands of toxic chemicalsin our environment undoubtedly contributes to the pandemic of chronic diseases in our modern society. Only a customized,

individual toxic profile can help you to understand and reduce your risks of diseases associated with environmental toxic exposure.



Map Showing High Rate of Male Birth Defects in Tulare Co, Calif.

TULARE COUNTY



Map Showing Very High Rate of Male Liver Disease in Tulare Co, Calif.

TULARE COUNTY



Map Showing High Rate of Male Diabetes in Tulare Co, Calif.

TULARE COUNTY



Map Showing Very High Rate of Cervical Cancer in Tulare Co, Calif.

TULARE COUNTY



Map Showing High Rate of Methyl Bromide Use in Tulare Co, Calif.

Were You Poisoned in Tulare County, Calif??

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