Successful Reduction of the PBT Lindane

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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 [phone]
• aheil_at_lacsd.org

SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
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Lindane

• ?-hexachlorocyclohexane
• Organo-chlorinated pesticide
• Persistent, Bioaccumulative,
  Toxic chemical
• Readily skin-absorbed
• Causes seizures, birth defects, kidney and liver
  damage, death
• Possible carcinogen

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Lindane Water Quality Criteria

• Based on human health
• Drinking water sources 19 ppt
• Current levels 40 ppt

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Pesticide Seed treatment
Medical head lice scabies
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LACSD Lindane Sources
Human Ingestion 0.55
Head Lice and Scabies 99
Treatment
Negligible sources food residue, pet shampoos,
structural, agriculture
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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

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Local SolutionPublic Outreach

• Goal
• Develop a low cost outreach program effective at
  reducing lindane usage

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Get Help!

• Partners
• City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
• National Pediculosis Association
• Technical Advisory
• Committee

911
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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
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Targets

• Doctors
• Pharmacies
• School nurses
• Day care centers

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? Pre-outreach survey ? Simple, hard-hitting
messages ? Focus on environment ? Also mention
health impacts ? Offer an alternative
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Maximize Exposure

• Three mailings
• Mass media
• PTAs
• Environmental groups
• Web site
• Hotline
• Television

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Sample Results - Impact of Outreach in Long Beach
Area
After
Before
Before
Median Lindane, ppt
After
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Sample Results - Impact of Outreach in Burbank
Area
Before
Average Lindane, ppt
After
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Survey Results - Physician Behavior Change
Before
After
Percent
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Pharmacy Study Results - Sales Ratios
Ratio Lindane to Non-Lindane Remedies
Control Outreach
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Feedback

• 6400 web site hits
• Few hot line calls
• Numerous e-mails

Im 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.
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Outreach Package
Contains

• Sample letters
• Sample press releases
• Samples of outreach materials
• Generic version of outreach video
• Electronic versions of artwork

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State SolutionLegislation

• AB 2318 Lowenthal
• Ban medical uses of lindane in California

• Signed by Governor Davis in Sept. 2000

• Takes effect January 1, 2002

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National Solution Regulation
Head lice and scabies
Agriculture Landscaping Veterinary
EPA is reviewing all lindane registrations this
year
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International SolutionCooperation

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