Writing for the Hawke’s Bay Today, University of Otago toxicologist Dr Belinda Cridge wonders if she would drink from the water downstream of the Hunua reservoirs after a 1080 drop.
An excerpt (read in full):
Compared with 1080 we approve many other chemicals for use in our homes and workplaces using dramatically less data and evidence than we now have available for 1080.
This is not a failure of the international regulatory systems but a contrast to highlight just how much we understand about 1080 as a chemical.
Through the work of dozens of scientists over dozens of years we have a very comprehensive picture of how the chemical acts, how it breaks down and what happens to it in the environment.
Because of early failures better mechanisms of delivery and pellet formulation have been developed. These have drastically reduced the chances that birds and other native species will eat the 1080 bait. By-kill rates have plummeted.