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