Daily Doc: PM, Oct 10, 1983: Methyl Bromide residue on tobacco
Daily Doc: Methyl Bromide residue on tobacco
Title: Methyl Bromide
PM, Oct 10, 1983
Bates #s: 2000030570, 2000750279/0283
June 27, 2000
Methyl bromide is a highly toxic fumigant used within the tobacco industry to control an insect called "cigarette beetle." It has no warning properties, such as smell, taste or color. Today's document says, among other things, that "When heated to decomposition, [methyl bromide] emits highly toxic fumes of bromides." Of course, this would be the fate of any residues remaining on tobacco leaves that makes it into cigarettes. It also says that the most significant route of exposure of methyl bromide is through the lungs. A 1984 Philip Morris internal memo reveals the concern within Philip Morris about use of this potent chemical poison:
"Recently, there have been more rumblings about methyl bromide at the EPA, and I enclose a portion of the letter...which was sent by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc...On page 2,...the Council makes some statement about methyl bromide's toxicity. I bring this to your attention to focus once again on the need to remove methyl bromide from our tobacco processing operations."I subsequently found this October, 1983 memo, which reveals just how toxic methyl bromide is, and just how much of it is present in tobacco after fumigation. Take a look.
( http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2000030570)
[Note that the threshold limits stated in this paper are *probably* limits of methyl bromide gas in ambient air, while the amount noted on tobacco are on or within the tobacco leaf itself. ]
CITATION
Title: Methyl Bromide
Type of Document: Memorandum, scientific report
Author John, J
Recipient: Dr. T.S. Osdene, Philip Morris
Date: 19831010
Site: Philip Morris document site http://www.pmdocs.com/
Page Count 6
Bates No. 2000750279/0283
URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2000750279/0283
Found Using Search Criteria: "methyl bromide"
QUOTES
Methyl bromide is a widely used fumigant with known alkylating and methylating properties. The most significant route of exposure is inhalation, although serious skin burns may occur from prolonged contact. Exposure at high concentrations will produce lung irritation with congestion and edema which may develop into bronchial pneumonia. Threshold concentrations from prolonged and repeated exposures result in nervous system disorders - including excitation, convulsions and most typically paralysis of the extremities.
Because methyl bromide has no odor or irritating effects, and therefore no warning, hazardous concentration can readily be attained. The threshold limit of methyl bromide has been set at 5 ppm (20 mg/m3). Methyl bromide has been shown to be mutagenic and genotoxic in a variety of assay systems.
* Disaster hazard for methyl bromide is "Dangerous" according to Sax, when heated to decomposition, it emits highly toxic fumes of bromides. * A limit of 15 ppm is recommended to prevent serious neurotoxic effects and pulmonary edema.... * Methyl bromide is responsible for more deaths in recent years among occupationally exposed persons than all of the more publicized organophosphate groups of insecticides (Casarett, Toxicology 1973, Pg. 444). ..
* Methyl bromide is readily absorbed through the lungs and excreted predominantly through the lungs as unchanged methyl bromide.... * Significant changes in monoamines, particularly norepinephrine, were seen in the brains of rats exposed to methyl bromine gas for 24 hours or 3 weeks continuously. Methyl bromine produced remarkable reduction in the norepinephrine contents of the hypothalamus and cortex at 100 ppm or higher levels.
RESIDUE LEVELS IN FUMIGATED TOBACCO
* Strip tobacco...exposed to vacuum fumigation with methyl bromide...showed inorganic bromide residues of 212-480 ppm. The untreated control tobacco strips showed bromide residues of 72 to 91 ppm. Tobacco...fumigated twice during a three day period showed residue values ranging from 257 ppm of inorganic bromide following the first gassing, and 505 ppm after second gassing. (Confidential, unpublished report, Manzelli, A., "Vacuum Chamber Fumigation of Tobacco with Methyl Bromide for the Control of Cigarette Beetle, ...1973)
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