Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to prohibit applications within one mile (1.6 km) of nesting or grazing waterfowl (a suggestion to
which FMC agreed). However, in a press release issued by the CDFG, it was noted that the grower
could not have prevented the kill because wigeon tend to feed at night undetected. Logically, this
casts serious doubts on any pesticide applicator's ability to detect feeding waterfowl as required by
the label so as to follow the one mile prohibition.
8.4.4.1.3
April 1975, Patterson Lake, Mount Hope, Kansas
A farmer applied carbofuran by ground at 1.1 kg ai/ha. Investigators found carcasses of 79 American
coot, one cottontail rabbit, and one frog (
Rana sp
.) (US EPA 1979).
8.4.4.1.4
February 1976, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
A farmer applied carbofuran by ground at 560 g ai/ha. Birds landed in the fi eld soon after the
pesticide treatment. Investigators then found about 500 dead Canada geese (Jemison 1976).
8.4.4.1.5
March 1976, San Jacinto Reservoir, California
Investigators recovered 63 dead American wigeon. Laboratory analysis determined carbofuran
residues, including 11.4 ppm in a pooled gastrointestinal tract sample from fi ve of the birds. It was
not possible to isolate the fi eld that served as a source of the carbofuran, which also prevented inves-
tigators from recovering further details about this incident (CDFG 1976).
8.4.4.1.6
April/May 1976, Mount Hope, Kansas
An estimated 750 to 1 000 American wigeon were reported dead in this incident. Investigators
found the ducks two days after the fi eld was sprayed, but time of death is not known. Pooled stomach
contents of three birds analysed fi ve days after application contained 0.5 ppm carbofuran (US EPA
1979; Flickinger, King, Stout et al. 1980).
8.4.4.1.7
March 1977, Willows, California
Investigators found approximately 1 100 American wigeon dead in and near an alfalfa fi eld treated
by aircraft with 560 g ai/ha. The fi eld was about four kilometres from the Sacramento National
Wildlife Refuge. The crop stood at about fi ve centimetres when sprayed. Carbofuran residues in
the alfalfa were 42 ppm (time of collection unspecifi ed), and pooled duck proventriculus samples
contained 9.8 ppm carbofuran. Brain cholinesterase levels were depressed 54 to 77% in a sample of
six dead birds (Bischoff 1977; O'Connell 1977; Hill and Fleming 1982).
This case set a precedent in United States law when a judge ruled that the defendants (i.e., the
applicator, farm owner, dealer, and salesperson) were indictable under the Migratory Birds Treaty
Act (referred to as the Migratory Birds Convention Act in Canada) for killing migratory birds with a
pesticide, even though there was no intent to do so (Williams 1988).
American wigeon also died in another California kill the next September, but Coon (1983) did not
provide details, including the number of birds recovered. Another poorly reported incident involved
18 to 19 geese (US EPA 1979).
8.4.4.1.8
April 1985, Stevens County, Oklahoma
A pesticide applicator treated an alfalfa fi eld with Furadan 4F aerially at 560 g ai/ha. About 150 and
160 American wigeon and ten Canada geese were found dead after feeding on the treated alfalfa
(Chada 1987).
8.4.4.1.9
August 1989, turnip, Westminster, British Columbia
Investigators found more than 40 dead or convulsing Canada geese in a turnip fi eld. Rain on the previ-
ous day caused puddling in the fi eld. The farmer had applied Furadan 4F the previous evening thereby
contaminating the puddles directly. Three turnip seedling samples contained 32.1, 68.7 and 1.7 ppm
carbofuran. Two goose gut samples sent for analysis contained 0.055 and 0.350 ppm carbofuran.
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