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Pesticide poisoning in question Photo by Jim Craven Dagoberto Morales, president of the farmworker advocacy group Unete, examines pesticide on bosc pears in an orchard near Jacksonville. Morales says symptoms of pesticide poisoning in farmworkers are often diagnosed as the flu. Some farmworkers claim illness from exposure By KELLY STEWART What if pears caused people to break out in boils and skin rashes, or feel jabs of intense pain in their limbs? They do, according to some farmworkers in Oregon. Farmworkers who pick Southern Oregon's cash crop can suffer from symptoms as serious as cancer and birth defects if they are overexposed to pesticides used in the fields. But local growers say the fault lies only with workers who improperly handle pesticides. Few farmworkers report pesticide overexposure. From Jan. 1, 1996, to Dec. 31, 1998, the Oregon Health Division received 341 complaints of pesticide-related incidents. The Health Division investigated 198 of these complaints; about 25 percent were related to agricultural operations, including farm work. About 665 workers are poisoned each year in California's orchards and fields, according to a study released in June by environmental and labor advocates. The study analyzed 3,991 cases of occupational poisonings by agricultural pesticides between 1991 and 1996. Penalties for poisonings were rare, and farmworkers received little or no treatment for overexposure. More than 600,000 farmworkers are employed in California. The study was sponsored by the United Farm Workers, Pesticide Action Network, Californians for Pesticide Reform and the California Rural Assistance Foundation. But the situation is not as dire as the study's sponsors would like to paint it, California growers said. The Pesticide Analytical and Response Center reports pesticide investigations each year. In 1996, PARC investigated 67 exposure incidents affecting 116 people. Six people were exposed by agricultural pesticide use. Nearly 50 percent of those reporting exposure did not seek medical treatment; others were seen in a provider's office or in emergency rooms, according to the PARC study. About 4,000 farmworkers live in Jackson County and work in some of the county's 157 orchards, estimated Dagoberto Morales, president of the farmworker advocacy organization Unete. Most farmworkers are Hispanic men 25 to 35 years old. Some local farmworkers say overexposure to pesticides is part of the job. Searing muscle pain and sinus infections are common for "J," a local farmworker who declined to reveal his name for fear of losing his job. "J" has worked in orchards for nearly 30 years, spraying pesticides. He started to feel pain under his left ear -- the location of one of the body's lymph nodes -- in 1988. The pain has since crept down his arms and legs. "I had to leave the orchard because of the pain," he said. "Little by little, my body is absorbing this thing." "J" also suffers from frequent headaches and has a hard time moving his left arm. Skin peels off his hands and feet. He feels no pain from November through January, when spraying ceases. "J," who is bilingual, sought medical help at a local clinic. He had a sinus operation in January, but his left sinus clogged up again. His doctor gives him penicillin to control infections, but they don't disappear for long. The doctor told "J" that the type of pain he experiences is typical of pesticide poisoning, but he was not diagnosed with poisoning. Alan Campbell, a physician who has worked at La Clinica del Valle for five years, said he doesn't see many ailments that can be directly attributed to pesticides. "It's very hard to prove that there's anything caused by exposure over a long period of time," he said. Farmworkers exposed to pesticides are usually taken to hospitals. Only half of local farmworkers affected by pesticides seek medical treatment, estimates Federico Valadez, who trains farmworkers on pesticide dangers for Americorps. "A lot of them don't go in because they don't speak the language," Valadez said. "It's 50/50, like a flip of a coin." Dan Hull, a spokesman for the Jackson County Fruit Growers League, said local growers do everything possible to protect farmworkers, including taking them to hospitals if they grow ill. Workers are provided with proper equipment and instructional classes, and they are supervised by certified personnel. "We don't want anything to happen to them," Hull said. If pesticide overexposures occur, "you can always trace them back to a mistake on the part of the employee," Hull said. Locally, Americorps offers free pesticide training to farmworkers and their families. Valadez trains the workers in Spanish and English. "We are here to provide safety measures," Valadez said. Workers learn how to protect themselves from pesticide exposure, recognize the symptoms of poisoning, and seek medical help. Valadez likened the danger of working in the fields to the risks construction workers and miners face on the job, but he said education can lessen the risk of injury. Farmworkers are often diagnosed with the flu, not with pesticide poisoning, Morales said. "No doctors specialize in pesticides," he said. When workers are treated for their symptoms, they may be told to rest for a short time and then go back to work, Morales said. "The problem is they never told the worker they have to rest, take a shower, and change clothes," Morales said. Valadez hopes that training will help workers understand pesticide risks and prevent poisonings. "They work on hot days, and they like to wear shorts and sandals," Valadez said. "They don't realize there's (pesticide) residue on the leaves. We recommend long-sleeved shirts, pants and enclosed shoes." Farmworkers should also visit a decontamination site during breaks and after work to wash their hands of pesticides, Valadez said. Orchards must follow strict laws for pesticide use and labeling, said Mark Wilk, director of Oregon Legal Aid Services for farmworkers in Woodburn. Members of legal aid travel to farmworker camp sites to advise workers of their rights. The group is planning a Medford trip Aug. 30-31. Places and times have not been determined. Workers have the right to know what pesticides are being used and workers must not re-enter orchards within a set time after spraying, Wilk said. If orchards violate Oregon pesticide regulations, OSHA has the right to assess fines, Wilk said. Workers who are injured on the job have the right to workers compensation. But many choose not to report poisonings because they are afraid they will face retaliation from employers, Wilk said. "They probably do want to report it, but they're afraid to," Wilk said. "That's unlawful, but as we know, people act unlawfully all the time." Naumes Inc. did not return phone calls about this article before deadline, and Bear Creek Corp. chose not to comment. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA