UNITED
STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
WASHINGTON,
D.
C.
20460
OFFICE
OF
PREVENTION,
PESTICIDES
AND
TOXIC
SUBSTANCES
May
1,
2002
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Review
of
Hexazinone
Incident
Reports
DP
Barcode
D282798,
Chemical
#107201
FROM:
Jerome
Blondell,
Ph.
D.,
Health
Statistician
Chemistry
and
Exposure
Branch
1
Health
Effects
Division
(7509C)

Monica
F.
Spann,
M.
P.
H.,
Environmental
Health
Scientist
Chemistry
and
Exposure
Branch
1
Health
Effects
Division
(7509C)

THRU:
Francis
B.
Suhre,
Senior
Scientist
Chemistry
and
Exposure
Branch
1
Health
Effects
Division
(7509C)

TO:
Carol
Christensen,
Environmental
Protection
Specialist
Reregistration
Branch
2
Health
Effects
Division
(7509C)

BACKGROUND
The
following
data
bases
have
been
consulted
for
the
poisoning
incident
data
on
the
active
ingredient
Hexazinone
(PC
Code:
107201):

1)
OPP
Incident
Data
System
(IDS)
­
reports
of
incidents
from
various
sources,
including
registrants,
other
federal
and
state
health
and
environmental
agencies
and
individual
consumers,
submitted
to
OPP
since
1992.
Reports
submitted
to
the
Incident
Data
System
represent
anecdotal
reports
or
allegations
only,
unless
otherwise
stated.
Typically
no
conclusions
can
be
drawn
implicating
the
pesticide
as
a
cause
of
any
of
the
reported
health
effects.
Nevertheless,
sometimes
with
enough
cases
and/
or
enough
documentation
risk
mitigation
measures
may
be
suggested.
2
2)
Poison
Control
Centers
­
as
the
result
of
a
data
purchase
by
EPA,
OPP
received
Poison
Control
Center
data
covering
the
years
1993
through
1998
for
all
pesticides.
Most
of
the
national
Poison
Control
Centers
(PCCs)
participate
in
a
national
data
collection
system,
the
Toxic
Exposure
Surveillance
System
which
obtains
data
from
about
65­
70
centers
at
hospitals
and
universities.
PCCs
provide
telephone
consultation
for
individuals
and
health
care
providers
on
suspected
poisonings,
involving
drugs,
household
products,
pesticides,
etc.

3)
California
Department
of
Pesticide
Regulation
­
California
has
collected
uniform
data
on
suspected
pesticide
poisonings
since
1982.
Physicians
are
required,
by
statute,
to
report
to
their
local
health
officer
all
occurrences
of
illness
suspected
of
being
related
to
exposure
to
pesticides.
The
majority
of
the
incidents
involve
workers.
Information
on
exposure
(worker
activity),
type
of
illness
(systemic,
eye,
skin,
eye/
skin
and
respiratory),
likelihood
of
a
causal
relationship,
and
number
of
days
off
work
and
in
the
hospital
are
provided.

4)
National
Pesticide
Telecommunications
Network
(NPTN)
­
NPTN
is
a
toll­
free
information
service
supported
by
OPP.
A
ranking
of
the
top
200
active
ingredients
for
which
telephone
calls
were
received
during
calendar
years
1984­
1991,
inclusive
has
been
prepared.
The
total
number
of
calls
was
tabulated
for
the
categories
human
incidents,
animal
incidents,
calls
for
information,
and
others.

HEXAZINONE
REVIEW
I.
Incident
Data
System
Please
note
that
the
following
cases
from
the
IDS
do
not
have
documentation
confirming
exposure
or
health
effects
unless
otherwise
noted.

Incident#
956­
1
A
pesticide
incident
occurred
in
1994,
when
an
individual
reported
burning
and
red
welts
on
their
legs
after
using
a
backpack
sprayer
that
was
leaking
on
his
hip
while
applying
the
product.
No
further
information
on
the
disposition
of
the
case
was
reported.

Incident#
3172­
1
A
pesticide
incident
occurred
in
1996,
when
utility
workers
were
exposed
to
the
product
for
about
one
to
one
and
a
half
hours
after
a
tank
mixture
was
sprayed
in
the
area
close
to
where
they
were
working.
The
workers
reported
temporary
eye
irritation.
No
further
information
on
the
disposition
of
the
case
was
reported.

Incident#
3645­
1
A
pesticide
incident
occurred
in
1996,
when
a
worker,
who
was
not
wearing
gloves
but
was
wearing
boots,
reported
peeling
skin
on
their
hands
and
feet.
The
worker
was
applying
the
product
that
got
onto
their
hands
and
feet.
No
further
information
on
the
disposition
of
the
case
was
reported.
3
Incident#
9945­
6
A
pesticide
incident
occurred
in
1999,
when
a
field
was
sprayed
with
the
product
within
a
half
mile
of
a
couple's
home.
Specific
symptoms
were
not
mentioned.
No
further
information
on
the
disposition
of
the
case
was
reported.

II.
Poison
Control
Center
Data
­
1993
through
1998
Results
for
the
years
1993
through
1998
were
acquired
for
17
exposures
to
hexazinone
reported
to
Poison
Control
Centers.
Cases
involving
exposures
to
multiple
products
are
excluded.
No
cases
were
reported
among
children
under
six
years
of
age
and
4
cases
among
older
children
and
adults
exposed
at
their
workplace.
One
of
the
four
cases
reported
a
moderate
outcome
with
eye
effects
that
resulted
in
being
seen
in
a
health
care
facility.
This
was
too
few
cases
to
warrant
detailed
analysis.
There
were
13
non­
occupationally
exposed
cases
among
older
children
and
adults.
Of
these
cases,
5
had
outcome
determined
of
which
none
reported
a
serious
or
even
a
moderate
outcome.
One
should
be
cautious
about
drawing
conclusions
from
such
a
small
number
of
cases.

III.
California
Data
­
1982
through
1999
Detailed
descriptions
of
1
case
submitted
to
the
California
Pesticide
Illness
Surveillance
Program
(1982­
1999)
were
reviewed.
In
the
case,
a
worker
reported
breathing
difficulties
and
was
diagnosed
with
bronchitis
and
slight
asthma
after
hexazinone
was
applied
to
the
ground.
Hexazinone
ranked
208
th
as
a
cause
of
systemic
poisoning
in
California
based
on
data
for
1982
through
1999.

IV.
National
Pesticide
Telecommunications
Network
On
the
list
of
the
top
200
chemicals
for
which
NPTN
received
calls
from
1984­
1991
inclusively,
hexazinone
was
ranked
159
th
with
17
incidents
in
humans
reported
and
2
in
animals
(mostly
pets).

V.
Conclusions
Relatively
few
incidents
of
illness
have
been
reported
due
to
hexazinone.

VI.
Recommendations
No
recommendations
can
be
made
based
on
the
few
incident
reports
available.
4
cc:
Correspondence
Hexazinone
file
(chemical
no.
107201)
Dirk
Helder,
SRRD
­
(7508C)
