A potpourri of pesticide poisonings in Alberta in 1987

Several instances of what turned out to be pesticide and herbicide poisonings were investigated by us in 1987. They did not all occur in Alberta; some were referred. In addition, this laboratory did not investigate all pesticide incidents referred to Alberta Agriculture, as another laboratory is normally involved when pesticides are suspected from the outset. Perfunctory case histories are given along with brief analytical methodology for our use of GC/MS as an investigative tool in toxicological examinations. Four cases of carbofuran poisonings, 6 of lindane (sometimes in conjunction with other poisons), and 1 each of picloram, phorate, chlordane and avitrol are reported. Linuron was also found on trees dying in a tree nursery.