XN000022-1991-08-16 — Page 8

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 191

IF

OF

WOULD HAVE

DR LEE SAID THE PROBLEM OF CONTAMINATED VEGETABLES BEEN MUCH SERIOUS AND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE

THE PRESENT EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF CONTROL OF PESTICIDES WERE NOT IN EXISTENCE IN THE TERRITORY

FARMERS LOCAL AND THAT THERE WERE NO CONSTANT EDUCATION

THE AGRICULTURE AND SAFE AND PROPER USE OF PESTICIDES BY DEPARTMENT (AFD).

ON FISHERIES

THE

HE SAID THE FIRST SUCH INCIDENT IN THE TERRITORY WAS. REPORTED IN NOVEMBER 1987 WHEN MORE THAN A AFTER EATING CHINESE FLOWERING

BERN

HUNDRED PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALISED CABBAGES LATER FOUND ΤΟ HAVE METHAMIDOPHOS, A HIGHLY TOXIC ORGANO-PHOSPHORUS PESTICIDE WHICH WAS NOT PERMITTED FOR IMPORTATION OR USE IN HONG KONG.

CONTAMINATED

BY

THEN, "SINCE

SPORADIC CASES

WERE

OCCURRED BUT ALL

ΤΟ CONFIRMED

HAVE

VEGETABLES ORIGINATED

CONTAMINATED WITH METHAMIDOPHOS FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"TO FURTHER SAFEGUARD THE GENERAL CONTAMINATED VEGETABLES, AFD HAS

PUBLIC

FROM

CONSUMING

METHOD ΤΟ

WHETHER CHECK

A ALSO DEVELOPED THERE IS EXCESSIVE

QUICK

SCREENING

LEVEL OF PESTICIDE

RESIDUALS ON VEGETABLES.

THE THROUGH CONDUCTED BY

THE VEGETABLE MARKETING "THIS METHOD IS CURRENTLY ADOPTED BY

VEGETABLES THAT ARE MARKETED ORGANISATION TO SCREEN ORGANISATION TO SUPPLEMENT REGULAR CHECKS ON VEGETABLES STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH," HE CONTINUED.

DR LEE

MUCH

WERE

WAS

TRACING THE HISTORY OF PESTICIDE CONTROL IN HONG KONG, SAID IN THE EARLY 50'S WHEN FARMING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES MORE ACTIVE THAN TODAY, THERE WAS NO CONTROL ON PESTICIDES WHICH

ΤΟ PROTECT THEIR CROPS FROM COMMONLY AND CASUALLY USED BY FARMERS

INSECT DAMAGE.

NUMBER OF HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE EARLY 50'S, THERE WERE A

BY THE

USE CAUSED

IMPROPER

OF A ACCIDENTS

HIGHLY TOXIC ORGANO-PHOSPHORUS COMPOUND PARATHION IN THE FARMING COMMUNITY.

FATAL

—

"AS A RESULT, CONTROL

ON AGRICULTURAL POISONS WAS INTRODUCED IN 1955 UNDER THE EMERGENCY (AGRICULTURAL REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS ORDINANCE.

"THESE REGULATIONS

PROHIBITED

URGENTLY POISONS)

THE IMPORTATION, SOME ORGANO-PHOSPHORUS PURCHASE, SALE OF POSSESSION OF WHICH WERE SET OUT IN THE SCHEDULE, HE SAID.

**

EXPORTATION, INSECTICIDES

IN 1970, THE CONTROL OF AGRICULTURAL POISONS WAS PUT UNDER PHARMACY AND POISONS (AGRICULTURAL POISONS) REGULATIONS.

"AS THIS LEGISLATIVE CHANGE

THE

WAS PURELY A TIDYING CASES CONTINUED

EXERCISE, IN THE TO OCCUR OPERATORS AND USERS,

H

PESTICIDE POISONING ACCIDENTAL EARLY 70'S. THE VICTIMS WERE MAINLY PESTICIDE DR LEE SAID.

то

ACCIDENTS WERE VARIED BUT VERY HE SAID THE CAUSES OF THESE THEY OFTEN

WERE ATTRIBUTABLE

THE

USAGE, HANDLING, IMPROPER

INFORMATION DISPOSAL AND STORAGE OF THE TOXIC PESTICIDES; THE LACK OF ON THE CONTAINERS AND THE IMPROPER PACKAGING OF THESE CHEMICALS.

/"IN A