Successful Reduction of the PBT Lindane

Successful Reduction of the PBT Lindane

Ann Terese Heil, Senior Engineer

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

1955 Workman Mill Road, Whittier CA 90601

562/699-7411, x2950 fax 562/692-5103

aheil@lacsd.org

SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Lindane

-hexachlorocyclohexane

• Organo-chlorinated pesticide

• Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic chemical

• Readily skin-absorbed

• Causes seizures, birth defects, kidney and liver damage, death

• Possible carcinogen

• Based on human health

• Drinking water sources: 19 ppt

• Current levels ~ 40 ppt

Lindane Water Quality Criteria

Medical:

head lice

scabies

Pesticide:

Seed treatment

LACSD Lindane Sources

Negligible sources: food residue, pet shampoos, structural, agriculture

Head Lice and Scabies 99%

Human Ingestion

0.55%

Treatment

Environmental Impacts

• One head lice or scabies treatment contaminates 6 million gallons of water

• Cost to remove lindane in wastewater from one head lice or scabies treatment is $4000

Local Solution:Public Outreach

Goal:

Develop a low cost outreach program

effective at reducing lindane usage

Get Help!Partners:

– City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation

– National Pediculosis Association

Technical Advisory

Committee

911

EPA Pollution Prevention Leadership Grant $80,000

LACSD staff time and sampling

City of LA staff time and sampling

NPA staff time and comb discount

Targets

• Doctors

• Pharmacies

• School nurses

• Day care centers

Pre-outreach survey

Simple, hard-hitting messages

Focus on environment

Also mention health impacts

Offer an alternative

Maximize Exposure

• Three mailings• Mass media• PTAs• Environmental

groups• Web site• Hotline• Television

Sample Results - Impact of Outreach in Long Beach Area

0

10

20

30

40

Control Outreach

Before Before

After

After

Med

ian

Lin

dan

e, p

pt

Sample Results - Impact of Outreach in Burbank Area

0

5

10

15

20Before

After

Ave

rag

e L

ind

ane,

pp

t

Survey Results - Physician Behavior Change

0

20

40

60

80

100

Doctors Prescribing Lindane

Before

After

Per

cen

t

Pharmacy Study Results - Sales Ratios

0

1

2

3

4

Rat

io L

ind

ane

to N

on

-L

ind

ane

Rem

edie

s

Control Outreach

Feedback

• 6400+ web site hits

• Few hot line calls

• Numerous e-mails

“… I’m adding a few pictures of what comes out of my lesions. What you see here is not a blood clot but some kind of membrane sac filled with fluid with blood mixed in with it. It also has a lot of little black specks inside of it.”

Outreach Package

• Sample letters

• Sample press releases

• Samples of outreach materials

• Generic version of outreach video

• Electronic versions of artwork

Contains:

State Solution:Legislation

• AB 2318 Lowenthal

• Ban medical uses of lindane in California

• Signed by Governor Davis in Sept. 2000

• Takes effect January 1, 2002

National Solution: Regulation

Head lice and scabies

Agriculture Landscaping Veterinary

EPA is reviewing all lindane registrations this year

International Solution:

Cooperation

• USA/Canada/Mexico• Commission for Environmental Cooperation• North American Regional Action Plan for

lindane