Stop Wildlife Poisoning

Category: carbofuran | Date: Apr 14 2009 | By: Martin Odino

I recently visited a local laboratory’s Toxicology department at the Government Chemists which is locally responsible for ultimate analysis and testing of samples from animals suspected to be poisoned. As would be routine of any science experiment, I am to get a set of crop, gizzard and intestines from birds I suspect to have been poisoned from the field in Bunyala, a control which is a set of the entrails from a bird that has not eaten the poison (I am sceptical about this because many birds eat the poison baits but survive if the poison has not attained the lethal dose), samples of the poisoning solution, and samples of the poison-laced snails. I am also to employ a vet’s services for histology or tissue analysis.

Relevance of the toxicological & histological analysis:

I have already witnessed much poisoning and may continue to witness the poisoning of birds from furadan in Bunyala but I must carry out this procedure because of two main reasons:

1. I need to present this information to the local pesticide regulation bodies, the Pesticide Control Products Board and the Agrochemical Association of Kenya to push for effective regulation as concerns furadan. This is because furadan is not locally banned and the risk infiltrating into Kenya from non-American manufactures (FMC have claimed withdrawal of their supply) is almost absolutely imminent. It therefore means it will not be illegal to continue using this compound with the current regulatons. The lab toxicological test results, if positive (which they should be) will therefore just be a form of ‘rubber stamp’ that indeed furadan is the culprit hence give more strength for our request for stricter regulation on the product if not a ban.

2. In the post, Detoxication of Furadan, I talked of how heat might be responsible for sparing consumers from being affected by furadan that has killed the birds. I however remain uncertain and this was enhanced when at the government chemists, the analysts argued that this ‘heat detoxication’ is unlikely especially because heat is used to concentrate furadan in the test samples and does not destroy the chemical. Yet again from the argument of draining of all fluids from the poisoned meat before it is cooked one analyst stated that this did not necessarily mean that it was gotten rid off in the tissues and therefore only histological procedures would reveal if the chemical gets to the tissues beyond the digestive system. This is especially in birds that get disoriented since they have not consumed the poison up to the lethal dose limit and the chemical continues circulating in the body therefore a higher possibility that some gets to the tissues which is what is consumed by humans.

To facilitate this important exercise, I am kindly calling for your support especially in purchase of some equipmet and samples’ analysis costs to be paid to government chemist and the vet analyst. This is the breakdown:

1. Cool box - USD150

2. Vials (10 vials-sizeable to carry a set of gizzard, crop and intestines from each bird) - USD75

3. Toxicological analysis charges charges on the 10 samples - USD200

4. Histological analysis charges - USD100

TOTAL - USD525

Kindly support me to get these samples tested which will provide stronger back up for my results and in our confrontation for better local legislation of the chemical which has already cost biodiversity a big blow and most likely continues to cost human lives.

Please help end this altogether…..and ensure that next time we hold our visiting birds we will be ringing them for conservation purposes and not consoling them with a comfortable ringer’s grip in time of their death.

Tags: Agrochemical Association of Kenya, Bunyala, FMC, Government Chemist, Kenya, Pesticide Control Products Board