"Oz" wrote in message
...
Sirius writes

I know a lady who had a son in 1997. He was born blind and disabled and
has
since died. She said this was caused by the spraying of Benzomate on
brussel
sprouts in a nearby field, while she was pregnant, IIRC.

(What is Benzomate? Is it still used?)

Acaricide active: Benzoximate (so I doubt ever used on sprouts).

Reported 1972, manuf Nippon Soda.

Control of spider mite on fruits, vines and ornamentals.

Very toxic (~50ppm), not currently approved in the UK for any use.
May never have been.

I doubt very much that she has the name right.


More likely is Benlate, (benomyl) a fungicide (MBC).

She said it was a fungicide. The name was written after a phone conversation
so may be spelt wrong.


Very widely used, approved, very low toxicity, non-mutagenic.
If the above symptoms were caused by this product it's widespread use on
pretty well all crops would have produced an unmissable epidemic by
about 1980.

Sadly I'm lacking details of this so can't really say anymore except she
lived near the field and was outdoors and subjected to drift. May have had
symptoms herself. I suppose its possible that something that doesn't
normally cause problems could harm a foetus at a particular stage of
development.