MEDIA RELEASE
MINISTER OF HEALTH WADES INTO DEBATE OVER
TOXIC GAS GENERATION FROM SHEEPSKINS
* * * * * * *
In New Zealand, Dr Jim Sprott has
described as "misleading" a statement made
by Minister of Health, Annette King, in
answer to a Parliamentary question about
risks posed to babies by sheepskins.
Responding to a question by ACT MP Rodney
Hide, Mrs King described research presented
by Dr W R Cullen at the SIDS 2000 Conference
as "attempts to generate certain gases from
sheepskins under laboratory conditions".
"Mrs King should get the facts," said Dr
Sprott. "Dr Cullen is a world expert in the
chemistry of arsine gases, and he proved
conclusively the generation of
trimethylarsine gas from New Zealand
sheepskins used as baby bedding." (SEE
EXTRACT FROM DR CULLEN'S PAPER, "MICROBIAL
STUDIES OF SHEEPSKIN BEDDING", FOLLOWING
THIS MEDIA RELEASE.)
Arsines are among the most toxic gases.
In the late 19th century it was proved that
a form of arsine generated by fungus in the
household environment had caused the deaths
of a large number of children.
"Chemical analyses carried out in 1996
showed that New Zealand sheepskins can
contain arsenic," said Dr Sprott. "And now a
highly qualified researcher has proved that
common household fungus can generate
arsenical gas from New Zealand sheepskins."
Dr Sprott said that the Ministry of
Health had a clear responsi- bility to tell
New Zealand parents that highly toxic gas
can be generated from sheepskins used as
baby bedding.
"The Ministry of Health was a sponsor of
the SIDS 2000 Confer- ence," said Dr Sprott.
"What's the point of the Ministry spending
taxpayers' money on scientific conferences,
if it then ignores crucial research reported
at such conferences?"
* * * * * * *
Following is an extract from the paper by
Dr W R Cullen titled "Microbial Studies of
Sheepskin Bedding" which was presented at
the SIDS 2000 Conference in Auckland on 11
February 2000. The presentation was attended
by Dr P G Tuohy, Chief Advisor for Child &
Youth Health, Ministry of Health.
"Sheep skin
studies:
Samples of four
sheepskins were supplied [from New Zealand].
Two of the skins were new, a healthy infant
slept on the third, and an infant died of
SIDS whilst sleeping on the fourth... [The
fungus] S brevicaulis grows very easily on
the skins when samples are placed in a
suitable growth medium and inoculated with
the fungus. Such cultures slowly produce
trimethylarsine... S brevi- caulis can grow
[on] sheepskin with the release of
trimethylarsine."
Following is a
statement contained in a report by
environmental scientist, Dr M G Fitzpatrick,
to the New Zealand Cot Death Association in
December 1997: "
"[A]rsines... are generally considered
among the most toxic and deadly compounds
known to humanity."
