In the October issue of W.A.S James Bach wrote and I replied,

I quote:
“Several persons in Canada have severely damaged their lungs from
breathing the acid during applications made to bee colonies.  And some
have burned themselves because of not using the correct gloves or spilling
the acid on their clothes.”

I just finished 4 seminars in Manitoba and neither myself, Rheal
Lafreniere (Provincial Apiarist of Manitoba), Janet Tam of Ontario
beekeepers transfer team or any of the 150 beekeepers attending the
seminars have no knowledge of any of the above cases, except some blisters
on pinched gloves.  Can you please provide me with your source and actual
proof of those things really happening in Canada?  I am contacting all
provincial apiculturists and provincial organizations to verify my
information that Canada has an outstanding clean record of no lung damage
because C-94 released very good safety recommendations in 1994.

I will let you know the results.

By now, January 2006 I have searched and followed the rumors to the real
source including the only one quoting a reputable source:  former Florida
State Apiarist and my friend Laurence Cutts.  According to Laurence he was
misquoted.

The person (name withheld) who lost their lungs and was on oxygen and
recently died had according to the deceases son, a rare lung disease not
connected to the use of formic acid.  According to Laurence the local
beekeepers who knew that this person was known to use formic acid
attributed his illness to its use.  Hence this is and example of how these
horror stories are created.

Following are replies that I have received up to today and I am looking
for more input from anyone. According to what I have received until now
there is no evidence that formic acid is carcinogenic and no one in the US
or Canada lost lungs or life to formic acid.
Please read the following emails.

Bill

Hi Bill (Received Dec. 16/05)
You can Google for Formic acid and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and
get lots of similar documents.
I see NO hazard of cancer mentioned, among the many that ARE mentioned
regarding corrosiveness.
I see the one case of a worker killed when splashed directly in the face
with hot formic acid from a vat, mentioned several times (years before
beehive use) so if there WAS a serious case involving bee use I would
expect it would be mentioned.
Like household bleach, gasoline, vodka, aspirin, salt etc, a person COULD
kill themselves with formic acid, and like Viagara, some people using the
product are going to die eventually (and when ENOUGH people use it,
somewhere, someone is going to die WHILE using it). The innuendos and
correlations are worth next to nothing unless they have been properly
investigated and an actual causal relation found: and even then it means
little if the use pattern is not in compliance with that recommended.
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/formicacid/
Kerry Clark, P.Ag., Crop Protection Specialist
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
4th Floor, 1201 - 103rd Ave
Dawson Creek BC V1G 4J2
Tel. (250)  784 2559   Fax 250 784 2299
Toll Free: 1 877 772 2200
(Received Oct. 04/05)
I've heard of none, and I've been using formic acid with mitegone pads
spring and fall for the last three years without incident.
If Jim has made the statement, perhaps he can supply data or specific
instances.

Cheers

Bob C

Hi Bill (Received Oct. 03/05)

I have no knowledge of cases that would support Jim’s statement about lung
damage. I hadn’t objected to other such statements, feeling that they were
conceivable overstatements meant to heighten precaution. I saw Jim’s
article and wondered whether there was justification for that statement.
(Jim’s email above may be out of date).

I don’t know whether Health Canada records such specifics. Willy
Baumgartner of Medivet Pharmaceuticals 403 652 4441 would probably have
heard of any cases. Rob Currie and his students have worked a lot with
vapour concentrations, especially in wintering buildings, a special case
where human exposure would be a concern.

I kept enquiring for several years ending 4 years ago, and know of (heard
third hand) one case of a splash in the eye from Saskatchewan (I don’t
remember exactly how: maybe an applicator gun? (flushed with water, a
couple of days of discomfort and concern, no permanent damage); and
several cases of blisters or skin burns from liquid contact or using non-
waterproof gloves, and one case where a container dripped onto someone’s
jeans (so they had to remove and rinse them).  In the pre PMRA approval
assessment phase I did air sampling using special formic acid detecting
Drager tubes, of exposure that someone would get using liquid onto
absorbent paper towel on top bars, or inspecting treated colonies
outdoors. The results were incorporated into the label precautions.

The prolonged-release methods would result in higher (intermediate is more
accurate: less than during initial liquid application, but at say 3-5 days
post application, higher than the much-reduced levels from liquid
application) vapour concentrations in hives.

I have heard third hand of problems in the US, even one of someone
bleeding from the ears (though I can’t imagine what formic acid exposure a
person could have that would result in that).

It may be true that if enough people handle a product capable of hurting
them (formic acid, gasoline, laundry bleach) eventually someone will get
hurt. PMRA decided that the precautions reduce the risk to an acceptable
level. I wonder whether any of those who have been injured by bee hive use
of formic acid were adhering to the precautions.
Kerry Clark, P.Ag., Crop Protection Specialist




(Received Oct. 04/ 05)
No I have not heard of lung damage but I am sure it could happen.  You
should wear a respirator.  I have burnt my fingers a couple of times.
Nothing serious at this time.

In Canada it is cooler than
Florida and if the temperature is low it is easer to handle,
How serious was the Florida incident?
Bill
Ferguson Apiaries

(Received Oct. 03/05)
As we discussed before, I do not know of any report injuries caused by
formic acid used to control Varroa mites

Salut!
Rhéal Lafrenière M.Sc. P.Ag.
Business Development Specialist - Provincial Apiarist
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
204-545 University Cres.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA, R3T 5S6
PH. (204) 945-4825
FX.  (204) 945-4327
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