Document 6bqo9nLDOrZOrYazzQ4V2wMzm

Carl Berber AClean Bill of Health for Apples B y W A L L A C E D. M O R R IS 0008495 N9729 Reprinted from HYGEIA. The Health Magazine, December 1941 Copyright, 1941, by American Medical Association -"a A Clean Bill t -V W A LLA C E D. M ORRIS of Health for Apples L ik e m ost rum ors, the one concerning the use o f lead arsenate as an insecticide has m any m ore lives than the proverbial cat. H ere are th e results of a P u b lic H ealth S ervice study o f the effects o f this chem ical on the health of both the apple orchardist and the consumer THECODLINGMOTHstartedit. Thispest, ifpermittedtomature, eventuallybecomes section were that lead arsenate has been used there as a spray material for more than a awormand eats its way into apples, ren quarter of a century, as much as 7,090,009 dering them unfit for human consumption. pounds of it being used for this purpose in a Nearly half a century ago it was discovered single year; more spray applications are given tliat if apple trees were sprayed with lead there each season than in most other apple arsenatebefore andduring thegrowingseason growing districts; since many of the apples of the fruit, the moth was killed before it consumed locally were not commercially could do any damage. The apple growers washed, there were opportunities for studying have utilized this protective method almost consumers who, over aconsiderable period of exclusively ever since, else the apple would time, had eaten lead arsenate residues in possibly have vanished from the American excess of the amount permitted by the United scene. With theleadarsenatesprayout of the States Food and Drug Administration; the picture, the moth would have had no compe orchardists there are concentrated in a rela tition. tively small area, making it possible for sub Then came the charge that people who jects to come into a centrally located clinic: ale apples were being poisoned by spray and, finally, thevarieties of apples produced in residues. The belief persisted, to plague the the Wenatchee region are usually eaten raw. apple-growing industry to the point where the rather than cooked. consumption of apples fell off markedly, Although apples are grown in nearly every untold hundreds of farmers saw their apple state in the Union, Washington produces one orchards become financial losses, and the fourth of the national total. The Wenatchee- apple business as a whole approached peril Okanogandistrict inWashingtoncontains only ously near the [Joint of bankruptcy. 1.5 per cent of the total apple acreage in the 'flic growers, packers, marketers and other United States, but produces from20 to25 pc: workers in the apple industry fought back. cent of all commercial apples. During the Time alter time, when apples were suspected years 1934-1938, the average per capita con of causing illness or death because of lead sumption of apples in the United States was arsenate residue, they proved that some other 56.8 pounds, with oranges, their nearest com factor was the cause of the trouble. petitor, running 36.6 pounds. Finally helpwas sought of Congress, andon The state of Washington is highly apple July 1, 1937, that body directed the United conscious, totheextent that it has aunit of the C C': Stales Public Health Service -to make an state government, the Washington Stale Apple investigation "todetermine the possibly harm Commission, whosejob it is toaidthegrowers ful effects on human beings of spray insecti inmakingWashingtonapplesthefinest that its 00 cides on fruits and vegetables." The results rich volcanic ash soil can produce, and to tell oO o of the Service's findings as regards sprayed the world about those apples. Clifford E. apples have recently been released under the Chase, secretary-manager of the commission, title, "AStudy of the Effect of Lead Arsenate makes his home--as might be expected--in Exposure on Orchardists and Consumers of Wenatchee, whenheisnot off across thecoun Ui Sprayed Fruit," being Public Health Bulletin trytoWashington, Miami, Chicago, NewYork Number 267. orsomewhere else inthe interest of the famed The region around Wenatchee, Wash., was fruit of his state. Inorout of Wenatchee, Mr. selected as the place tofindthe answer to the Chasehastakenaleadingpartinthecampaign question: "What has been the possible effect against the lead arsenate bogey. on human beings of exposure to lead arsen The packers of apples make every eft'ort to 3 sale. First the apples are washed inasodium silica wash, at atemperatureof 110degrees, to remove any spray residue. Next they are rinsed, and then are sent into a second hot hath, a one per cent hydrochloric acid solu tion, for theremoval of anyadditional residue or dirt, after which they are rinsed again. They arc then dried, sorted for size, defective fruit removed, the good apples weighed and packed, thenstored inchilly storage rooms or refrigerator cars. It is usually less than an hour from the time the apples arrive at the packing plant until theygo intochilly storage, andtheyarekept there until theygoonsale in the store where youbuy them. The. Public Health Service's bulletin slates that the investigation comprised "a study extending over three years of the possible injury to health of people exposed to lead arsenate, whether bv ingestion on fruit (con sumers), by inhalation of spray mist or dust (orehardists), orby other forms of exposure." The study also "included both an intensive lield study of large groups of men, women and children, as well as toxicologic laboratory investigations of the effect of lead arsenate on man and animals, and of similarly-related problems. The possibility that lead arsenate couldhavebeenafactor, directlyorindirectly, inother diseases was studied." This phase of the investigation extended over 14months, andincluded health examina tions of 488 adult male and 54 adult female orehardists; 95 men and 146women classified asconsumers, whohadnoseasonal exposureto lead arsenate or any similar compound; 158 men and 171 women, former orehardists or seasonal workers in apple-packing sheds; 99 hoys and girls under 15 years of age; and a group of 20 men and women whose records were set aside for special consideration because of previous industrial exposure to lead, or because their exposure at the time of the investigation did not fit into any of the categories mentioned. The total number of persons examined was 1,231. The youngest was a19month oldgirl, the oldest an86year old woman. , Each person in the various classifications was questioned as to howmany apples he or siie ate annually (based on recollection), and whether theywerewashed, unwashed, orboth. Somesaidtheyatenoapples, whileotherssaid they ate more than2,000ayear. Again, some ale commerciallywashed apples almost exclu- sivelv, some both washed and unwashed apples, and some unwashed ones almost exclusively. . For example, in the consumer classification it ran: Washed--men, 255 apples, annually; women, 263; both washed and unwashed-- men, 431; women, 400; unwashed--men, 315; women, 371. Menandwomen orehardists ate more unwashed apples thanwashed ones. In the medical procedure followed in examining the patients--"patients" because many of those examined were in various stagesof health--particularattentionxvaspaid toregions and systems important in the diag nosis of lead and arsenic intoxication. Each subject was given a fluoroscopic chest exami nation, and about a tenth of the total number of subjects were x-rayed, this being done on all cases wdiere fluoroscopyindicated apatho logic manifestation. Specimens of blood and urine w.ere taken from each subject at each examination, and fecal specimens were col lected from the first 48 men examined, for clinical laboratory tests andchemical analysis. The subjects w'ere examined, over a period of a year devoted to this phase of the survey, from' one to four times each, to note any changes in their health or in symptoms of whichtheymight havecomplained. Tests revealed that bloodlead concentration was higher inorehardists thanin nonorchardists, but the report on a 14 year old boy who had tended a mixing lank during the season of the survey wrus: "Clinical findings were negative, and results of clinical laboratory tests fell well w'ithin the range of normal variation." Again, "It thus appears that these elevations inbloodlead, urinarylead, andurinaryarsenic content correspond to elevated levels of lead arsenateintake, peculiartotheWenatchee dis trict and to fruit-growing regions in which there are similar opportunities for exposure. There was no indication at the time of exami nation of any adverse effects on the health of Wenatchee children." The childrenexamined were nearly all in the consumer class--those w'ho ate apples, but had nothing to do with theirgrowing orpacking. Of the men apple growers the report says: "This population of orehardists shows no ten dency for the symptoms andsigns of lead and arsenic intoxication tooccur in combination." Speakingof subjects foundinneedof medi cal attention, the report states: "Physicians will recognize that more data, special labora tory tests, and particularly the opportunity to 4 observe the patient over longer periods oi illnesses,"adding, afewwords lateron: "This time, would be needed to establish definite is about the same degree of prevalence ob diagnoses of many of the diseases (listed in served . . . among the rural white inhabitants tables in the report). Enough evidence, how of Cattaraugus County, N. Y." One would ever, was usually available toestablishorrule assume thelattertobeprettyhealthy. Kidney out lead or arsenic injury." diseases: "None of these diseases was unusu Anothersignificant paragraph: "Itisknown allyprevalent." Ofpatientsfoundtobesulfer- that lead canbe stored inthe body, following ing from tuberculosis: "Nothing was noted periods of heavy intake, and that it is elimi during this period of observation to lead one nated, under normal circumstances, with the to suspect that their lead arsenate exposure passage of time. These da'ta indicate that it was having an adverse effect on their pul does not require much time for a population monary disease." of former orchardists to so deplete the stores Onthewhole, the findings of the survey are of lead and arsenic within their bodies that containedinthesewords,giveninthesummary their urinary lead, blood lead and urinary of the report: "Insofar as comparative data arsenic values fall to the levels of men who for-other populations are available, no evi- never had an unusual exposure- to these ---deuce-jwas. found that any of these forms of metals." ill health was more prevalent in this region The report runs the gamut of ills to which than elsewhere, or that any cases of chronic humanity is heir. Of the Wenatchceans'heart diseases hadbeencausedor influencedbylead disease incidence itsays: "Nomorefrequently arsenate exposure." than in the general population." Of blood [Non:: Apples, with their health-giving tula- pressure: "The average blood pressure of mins A, II, Cand (i; Iheir valuable minerals, the persons in this study are no higher by iron, calcium and pitasthorns, and Iheir pure age groups, and in most cases are lower, appeal to the palate, are one of Saltire's finesl than those of industrial workers studied gifts to mankind. 1\V must do evergihing by the Public Health Service." Of skin dis possible to insure their continued uvailabililg. orders: "The paucity of all forms of derma No doubt there have been instances of persons titis seems to indicate that dermatitis is not who responded unfavorably even to small a significant toxic manifestation of lead arse amounts of the Io.viesubstances used as sprays. nate." Of eye irritation: "Close study of the But proper handling and washing of the fruit orchardists failed to establish lead arsenate reduces this hazard to infinitesimal prdpor as the cause of the difference." Of nervous tions, as shown by the report of the 1'idled disorders: "Most of the organic nervous dis States Public Health Service. Meanwhile ordersobservedrepresentedeitherchronicdis research is continuing for sprays free from ease slates or the residuals of acute nervous the inherent dangers of leadandarsenic. Ku.) Printed and Published in the United States of America