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Impact of - IDL-BNC @ IDRC - International Development Research ...

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Table 2. Number <strong>of</strong> enquiries received at the National Poisons<br />

Information Centre, 1988-1989.<br />

Type <strong>of</strong> chemical No. <strong>of</strong> enquiries<br />

Pesticides 235<br />

Drugs and therapeutic agents 141<br />

Industrial chemicals 89<br />

Plant poisons 51<br />

Household chemicals 51<br />

Snake venom 20<br />

Agrochemicals 3<br />

Others 135<br />

Total 725<br />

Table 3. Pesticides responsible for poisonings, 1988-1989.<br />

Pesticide Number %<br />

Insecticides 120 51.1<br />

Herbicides 54 23.0<br />

Rodenticides 24 10.2<br />

Fumigants 1 0.4<br />

Snail baits 1 0.4<br />

Others or unknown 35 14.9<br />

Total 235 100.0<br />

Table 4. Pesticides responsible for deaths, 1988-1989.<br />

Pesticide No. <strong>of</strong> deaths<br />

Paraquat 8<br />

Organophosphates 6<br />

Propanil 3<br />

Chiorophenoxy 3<br />

Organophosphate and carbamate I<br />

Unknown I<br />

Total 22<br />

received 725 enquiries; 235 were related to pesticides, which caused 22 deaths<br />

(Tables 2, 3, and 4).<br />

In addition to providing telephone or written information, the Centre has<br />

helped to disseminate information through publications. Management <strong>of</strong><br />

Pesticide Poisoning, sponsored by the Pesticides Association <strong>of</strong> Sri Lanka, is<br />

distributed free to all medical practitioners in Sri Lanka. Known as the "Green<br />

Book," it contains information on the management <strong>of</strong> victims <strong>of</strong> poisoning due<br />

206

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