US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCES PROGRAMSPESTICIDE TIMELINE: ORGANOMERCURY POISONINGS *1915 - Liquid mercury treatment of seeds 1952-79- Two outbreaks of methyl mercury poisoning from biomagnification in shellfish and fish. 3,500 human cases, 40+ congenital poisonings, 52+ deaths 1956 - Consumption of methyl mercury-treated seed grain. Unknown number of fatalities (Iraq) 1961 - Consumption of ethyl mercury-treated seed grain. 321 cases, 35 deaths (Iraq) 1963 - Consumption of treated seed grain. 34 cases, 4 deaths (Pakistan) 1966 - Starvation consumption of treated seed grain. 45 cases, 20 deaths (Guatemala) 1970 - Consumption of treated seed grain. 70 cases, 2 deaths (Russia) - Consumption of pork from pigs fed on treated seed grain. 3 cases plus fetal toxicity (U.S.) - Mercury subsequently banned for seed protection in U.S. 1973 - Consumption of treated seed grain (red warning dye washed off). 6530 cases, 459 deaths (Iraq) 1974 - Consumption of treated seed grain. 144 cases, 20 deaths (Ghana) 1983 - Consumption of fish from contaminated lakes. Unknown number of cases (Canada)
* The majority of this information is from Hayes, Jr., W. J. and E. R. Laws, Jr. 1991. Handbook of Pesticide Toxico!ogy, Vol. 1, General Principles. Academic Press Inc. San Diego. 496 p.
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