Woman dies from poisoning, pesticide company implicated

On July 23, the Health Ministry launched an investigation into the death of a woman due to poisoning after her home was treated by a pesticide company. On Monday, the ministry confirmed in a statement that the death was indeed caused by improper use of hazardous chemicals and that “the Lebanese Canadian Est. for Pest Control has been officially shut down, and its case has been referred to the judiciary.”

A source within the ministry had confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour in July that the woman, N. Kh., and her cat had died from chemical poisoning. Her housekeeper, also poisoned, had been admitted to intensive care.

In its statement released on Monday, the ministry specified that “blood tests conducted on the victim revealed the presence of propanol, a substance found in some insecticides.” During questioning, the company owner admitted that aluminum phosphide (a fumigant and acaricide used in agricultural and industrial settings, which reacts with water and is highly toxic) had been used on a floor above that of the victim, while the deceased’s home was treated with deltamethrin, an insecticide, at a concentration of 5 percent.

Following toxicological analyses, the Ministry's investigative committee reached several conclusions. On one hand, aluminum phosphide, classified in the highest toxicity category by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reacts with moisture and transforms into a highly toxic gas, phosphine. This gas likely infiltrated the victim's apartment from the upper floor, the text continues. The symptoms observed in the victim indeed correspond to exposure to phosphine.

Ban on Aluminum Phosphide for Home Treatments

“The bottle used by the company contains clear guidelines, warning of the dangers of using aluminum phosphide, which is intended for use in fields and large warehouses and not in enclosed and inhabited homes; however, the company had sprayed it throughout the residence,” the text continues. It specifies that the product was purchased under a license obtained from the Agriculture Ministry and that its use was “misappropriated” by the company. As for the deltamethrin used in the victim's home, its maximum concentration should be 2.5 percent in inhabited areas, not 5 percent as was the case in this residence.

Following these findings, “the Health Ministry has transferred the file of the Lebanese Canadian Est. for Pest Control to the competent judiciary for further investigation and allocation of responsibility in the death of N. Kh.” The ministry has also revoked all permits previously granted to this company. L’Orient-Le Jour attempted to contact the company through its website numbers but was unsuccessful.

In response to this incident, the Ministry has issued a decision formally banning the use of aluminum phosphide, zinc phosphide, and all materials reserved for agricultural use in home treatments. In a circular sent to the Agriculture Ministry, the Health Ministry has requested that exporters of such materials ensure they are strictly used in the agricultural sector.