This is a letter from Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides,  NCAMP. dated September 18, 2000 

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Dear Dr. Crans:

Malathion is an outdated pesticide, known to cause neurological damage in humans. Malathion should not be used for mosquito control. When any adulticide is used, there must be public notification. Furthermore, I believe you did a great disservice to the citizens of New Jersey when, in an August 15, 2000 interview on WBAI radio, you claimed that malathion was  reviewed by EPA and found to be "safe." This statement not only misleads  the public, giving them a false sense of security, but is also inaccurate.

According to a 1986 General Accounting Office report, it is the position of EPA that no pesticide is safe. By supplying the public with misinformation on the safety of malathion, people may be less likely to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from pesticide exposure, putting their health at greater risk.

Despite your claims that health concerns are "driven by fear," not science,  animal studies have shown that malathion affects the central nervous system, immune system, adrenal glands, liver and blood. In 1992, Cancer Research linked the use of malathion to increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found similar risks. In 1984, Adrian Gross, senior science advisor,  Benefits and Use Division, Office of Pesticides Programs, EPA, reviewed National Cancer Institute studies and concluded that malathion is  carcinogenic and presents an unacceptably high risk, as high as 4 per1,000 population. This is far too great of a risk to impose upon the citizens of New Jersey.

During the interview, you referred to New York City's malathion spraying, stating that no incidents of adverse health effects had been reported.  This is because there is no mechanism in place for reporting pesticide-poisoning  incidents. However, when EPA's now defunct Pesticide Monitoring System kept records of pesticide poisonings, 962 incidents involving malathion were reported between 1960-80, and in California, malathion was the third most common cause of pesticide illness from 1981-85. While pesticide poisonings are no longer compiled by the Pesticide Monitoring System, the damage  continues to be done.

For the health and safety of the residents of New Jersey, please prohibit the use of malathion and other organophosphate insecticides for mosquito control. When any adulticide is used, notify the public through local newspapers, television and radio stations. Thank you for your consideration. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

Jay Feldman
Executive Director

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