Oak Ridge Building Trades medical Screening Program for Portsmouth and Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plants

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Lessons from health hazards | The pesticide DBCP and male infertility 9 The pesticide DBCP and male infertility

Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) is a pesticide used against nematodes (roundworms or threadworms) that damage pineapples, bananas and other tropical fruits. It was introduced into US agriculture in 1955 and approved for use as a fumigant in 1964. By 1961 laboratory experiments had shown that it made the testicles of rodents shrink and significantly reduced the quantity and quality of sperm. Nonetheless, the compound was widely marketed and became a commercial success. In 1977, workers at a production plant became worried that they were unable to father children. An emergency study by a US government agency discovered that in many cases the workers were suffering from deficient or absent sperm. While controls were improved at US facilities, the product continued to be marketed and sprayed in Latin America, the Philippines, some African countries, and elsewhere. By the 1990s, tens of thousands of plantation workers in these countries had allegedly suffered adverse reproductive effects from DBCP use. The story continues today with contentious legal claims for compensation, contamination of drinking water and industry attempts to prevent a Swedish documentary on the issue from being screened. This chapter looks at the knowledge available about the hazards and the actions taken, or not taken, to avert them. The DBCP story is significant as it is the first clear example of reproductive damage to workers who manufactured and used a synthetic chemical. This is one of many examples supporting the growing concerns about increasing rates of reproductive and developmental disease, and about the endocrine disrupting chemicals that seem to be playing a role in these disorders. Protecting production workers, users, consumers and the environment from chemicals that may damage reproduction demands closer integration of scientific disciplines, as well as government action. The lessons of DBCP may help in ensuring timely protection from harm, based on precautionary approaches to scientific evidence. Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation 203Lessons from health hazards | The pesticide DBCP and male infertility 'If anyone wants to use a male birth control drug, I think we have identified one, but it is not very pleasant to use.&apos