§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out into the effects of organophosphates on the human body and methods of entry into the human body; who carried out that research; and who is carrying out research currently.
§ Mr. SackvilleOrganophosphate toxicology is a very heavily researched area and many papers reporting such research are published each month in the world's scientific journals. Organophosphate research was recently reviewed by Ballantyne and Marrs—"Clinicaland experimental toxicology of organophosphates and carbamates", published by Butterworth—Heinemann, Oxford, 1992.
246WA number of groups are carrying out research into the action of organophosphates including, in the United Kingdom:
- (a) Medical Research Council Laboratories, Carshalton (Dr. Martin Johnson).
- (b) University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Professor Peter Blaine).
- (c) Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, Salisbury.
In addition, clinical research has been carried out at the poisons units, particularly by Dr. Virginia Murray in London and Dr. Allister Vale in Birmingham, and the Health and Safety Executive is proposing to carry out a study of farm staff and contract workers using organophosphate sheep dips.
Outside the United Kingdom, there are numerous groups working on organophosphates, notably:
- Belgium — University of Ghent (Dr. Willems).
- Canada — DRES, Suffield, Alberta (Dr. Clements).
- Hungary — Szent-Gyorgy University, Szeged (Professor Desi).
- Italy — University of Padua (Professor Lotti).
- Portugal — Coimbra University Hospital (Dr. Pimentel).
- USA — Vanderbilt University, Nashville (Professor Dettbarn).