The Facts About Compound 1080

THE 1080 CONSPIRACY

Sold since 1956 as Compound 1080, sodium monofluoroacetate is produced by Tull Chemical Co of Oxford, Alabama. Charles Wigley, the owner and sole operator of the plant, reportedly makes each batch specifically to order, ships it immediately, and does not store any on site. His biggest customer is the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Agriculture. New Zealand reportedly uses 90% of global production of Compound 1080 to kill bush possums and other non-native mammals.

The Facts about Compound 1080.

1 The FBI in USA has issued a Terror Alert on this substance. One teaspoon can kill up to a hundred people; it looks like castor sugar and is easily soluble in water. There is no antidote. Apart from the Nazi experiments, at least 13 humans have been killed by Compound 1080 accidents and use as a murder weapon. Three children were killed in an Oklahoma City incident in which Compound 1080 was spread on vanilla wafers. In fact, it is the perfect murder weapon, virtually undetectable in a third world environment and killing with certainty, leaving a corpse with a probable post-mortem diagnosis of Heart Attack as the cause of death. The presence of this poison in SA in an age of inter-societal tensions and terrorism is a threat to national security.
2 The poison was developed by the Nazis, tested horrifyingly on Jews and dissidents, and then rejected for Death Camp use because it was too dangerous for death camp staff to handle.
3 It was banned from general use in USA in 1972, after a number of human deaths and the wiping out of non-target species in coyote control. A former USA Environmental Protection Agency Administrator described 1080 as 'one of the most dangerous toxins known to man.'
4 Death by 1080 poison is exceptionally painful and lingering, taking many hours and even days of spasms and convulsions before death from respiratory or cardiac failure.
5 Farm workers exposed to 1080 over a period of time can suffer extreme pain and disability merely by contact with the poison - even if they do not ingest it.

How Hitler's Poison got into South Africa.

1 The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), The National Woolgrowers Association (NWGA) and Cape Wools (CW) have imported four and a half kilograms in to SA. This is enough poison to kill up to two million animals, and Heaven knows how many people.
2 The Trade Unions, who have a vital interest in protecting farm workers, were not consulted or informed.
3 Large sums (R400,000) have been paid to EWT by the Wool marketers to facilitate the marketing of the product. Promoting and lobbying for the use of the poison is ongoing, as is testing. We require clarification from EWT on this important question: are lethal tests being conducted on our wildlife? If not, when will they do so and how?
4 Disinformation has been given to the public. The protagonists of 1080 poison implementation recklessly claim that
- 1080 is species specific and safe to use
- A jackal will die within 30minutes of ingesting the poison.
- Birds will not be poisoned.
- 1080 does not cause secondary poisoning.
None of these claims is true.
5 This special interest group has been allowed to act as described without any prevention or control by conservation and agricultural authorities who have been well aware at all times of what is happening.

We contend that this conspiracy to deploy weapons of mass destruction into our environment is against the national interest, that farm workers will inevitably die, and that the import and use of Mr. Wigley's poison should be prohibited by government without any delay and without even considering environmental issues.

Should farm workers die or other deaths occur from 1080 poisoning, we believe that everyone involved in the import and use of 1080 could and should be charged with conspiracy to commit murder. When one recklessly facilitates the deployment of a hazardous substance, which is known to be lethal if misused, and some form of misuse is inevitable, then the law presumes that one intends the natural and probable consequences of one's actions.

We have ourselves recently caused National Security to be alerted, and we hope that Government acts promptly and responsibly to prevent tragedies.

The EWT makes a number of claims relating to the use of 1080:

We are told that the EWT has been paid huge amounts of money by the SA wool industry (R400,000.00 ?) to spend on marketing 1080 poison, so that it can be added to the toolbox of cruelty and death. What a bizarre waste of money. Why not rather use these funds to employ real experts like Rob Harrison-White to educate farmers on how to farm using non-lethal methods. And in lobbying government to ban the use of all poison in livestock farming, as well as the possession, sale or use of gin traps and other cruel, lethal devices.

We know farmers who have many years of experience of farming with sheep and who will tell you that the use of poison and gin traps, is completely unnecessary. They farm successfully with sheep simply by adopting sensible management techniques. Changing from Dorpers to the indigenous Damara breed, bringing the flock into a kraal at night, keeping pregnant ewes and young lambs in a safe camp near the house. As simple as that. The EWT extermination campaign seems to be a wholly unnecessary, utterly destructive attempt to shield unscientific farmers from themselves. For those who say 'The farmers must be protected,' we say 'Nonsense. Millions of South Africans have to survive without the privilege of owning land, and if landowners cannot survive without destroying our heritage, then they should get off the land.'

There are so many practical, humane and non- lethal things that can be done to reduce or prevent the predation of livestock. We oppose and question the removal of predators by common problem animal control methods. Apart for the humane aspects, all that is being achieved is that a vacuum is created and more predators move in to fill that vacuum. The constant killing and disturbance of jackal and lynx populations through the current problem animal control methods has resulted in these populations adapting. Jackal breed at an earlier age than they used to; they produce bigger litters etc.

Poisoning and killing predatory animals is not the answer. Farmers have been doing it without success for 350 years. We should now be finding humane and non lethal methods to reduce and prevent conflict between farmers and wildlife. India is a good example to follow. There are many different techniques used there that are humane and non lethal. First, it is against their religion and culture to kill animals and second, there just isn't money for poisons ......and they have developed some simple, affordable and practical methods of preventing human \ wildlife conflict.

Claim 2. ' Livestock losses to farmers are economically significant and 'in desperation' farmers turn to poisoned baits.'
ANSWER: This confuses the victim with the perpetrator. See below for what a tiny proportion of livestock losses are caused by predators as opposed to disease, drought, theft, dogs etc. Even this tiny proportion is avoidable by non-lethal management techniques, and are therefore due to laziness or mismanagement. There is no such thing as a problem animal - only problem farmers.

Claim 3. "The EWT's Research initiative on 1080 was sanctioned in 1993 by…national and provincial conservation authorities." False Inference: That there must be merit in testing 1080 if the authorities allow it.
ANSWER: This assumes that SA Nature Conservation authorities are competent, and focussed on the preservation of our wildlife as opposed to the financial interests of the farming community.

We believe that the whole structure of nature conservation in SA is defective. What the country needs is a centralised, streamlined organization supported by competent scientists and with a proper chain of command. Instead look what we have. We have 10 different autonomous bodies - DEAT (Department of Environment and Tourism) and the nine Provinces - each doing exactly as they please. In nature conservation, each province is a sovereign nation state. This means that decision making devolves to the lowest denominator in the system - the petty provincial nature conservation official. In military terms, decisions which should be made by generals are being made by NCO's, while the battle cry of DEAT is "don't bother us, that's a provincial matter". We doubt if there is a single nature conservation official in the entire system who really knows what 1080 is.

Because of this inconsistent, fragmented conservation structure, there is a vacuum where leadership and control should be. And that is how the absurd situation arises where an NGO with a well paid brief from a special interest group - that conflicts with the national interest - is allowed to run wild, importing deadly poisons and making preparations to deploy them without any intervention by conservation authorities.

In fact, in their treatment of problem animals, SA Nature Conservation authorities are morally depraved and environmentally delinquent. Look at this:

INTERNATIONAL PLEA FOR SOUTH AFRICAN 'PROBLEM ANIMALS.' White hunt clubs and racist laws are exterminating wildlife in South Africa through institutionalized slaughter which is authorized by a fifty-year-old piece of apartheid-era legislation that allows any six persons who are not black to form a hunt club. The provincial extinction of declared species is the lawful, State-sponsored aim of this legislation and even animals such as the caracal, which is listed in CITES Appendix II, are treated as vermin.

The Problem Animal Control Ordinance of 1957 is a declaration of war upon, and an extermination program for, species of wildlife which in the Northern Cape includes the Caracal (lynx) and the Black-Backed Jackal. This pillar of apartheid was framed to protect the narrow commercial interests of a tiny white minority of livestock farmers. The ordinance specifically excludes blacks, and all these years after Nelson Mandela walked to freedom, officials continue to enforce a law which begins: "Any six persons who are not black may form a hunt club."

The provisions of the Ordinance read like something out of Hitler's "Mein Kampf." Any attempt to harbour or care for declared enemies of the State is strictly forbidden. Wildlife sanctuaries and eco-tourism resorts are treated as illegal breeding grounds for vermin. Local white-only hunt clubs are given the power to carry out an armed invasion of any private property, killing any declared (and, in practice, undeclared) animals on sight. No notice or permission is required by the hunt from the occupiers of the invaded land and any attempt to resist the invasion is unlawful. No compensation is paid for damage and losses, instead, the hunters are paid and rewarded by the taxpayer for their vandalism and may recover all of their expenses from the owner/occupier of the land they have just raped. All methods of hunting are condoned, whether it be poison, set-guns, gin traps, or the pouring of diesel fuel down burrows and burning the occupants alive.

Provincial officials have unlawfully extended the use of this statute to harmless species such as the Cape Fox by classifying them as 'potential problem animals.' This classification is quite without any legal or scientific foundation. Hundreds of thousands of animals, mostly harmless non-target animals such as bat-eared and Cape Foxes are slain in these unselective hunts. In a few short years, the hunt club known as the Oranjejag exterminated 87,570 animals in the Free State alone. About seventy percent (60,340) were Cape Foxes. (Journal of Science statistics) And the Cape Fox is a protected species. Parliament classified these animals as 'protected', yet the officials of the Northern Cape Nature Conservation Services insisted, quite illegally, in proclaiming open hunting upon them in 18 of the 28 magisterial districts of the Northern Cape province. Scarce and valuable animals like Brown Hyenas are trapped in vicious gin traps (leg-holds) and then shot - at taxpayers expense by officials of this department.

The scale of the inhumanity and slaughter caused by the Problem Animal Control Ordinances and the hunt clubs are a national scandal and deserve a judicial committee of enquiry. We believe that this monstrous legislation far exceeds any legitimate need for livestock farmers to protect themselves from stock predation.

Claim 4. That 1080 is better than the agricultural pesticides that some farmers are presently using.
ANSWER: Actually, these poisons cause less suffering and kill quicker than 1080. If you had to choose a dramatic way to die from a selection of poisons - few would give you such a long prolonged agony as the highly toxic poison commonly called 1080. Below is an example of just the initial 4 hours of suffering out of a possible 36hrs endured by one of 11 black backed jackal killed in previously unpublished South African research on 1080 lethal dosages (LD100's)* in the early 1960's. Several species were tested including the now endangered cheetah - (Table 1) Jackal took 1080 poison bait (0.7mg/kg dosage) at 1400.
16.03 Vomited;
1620 Vomited, reactions acute and very nervous; salivating very heavily;
1635 Vomited;
1637 Nervous spasms;
1650 Heavy breathing and salivating;
1655 Standing erect, very weak and foaming at the mouth;
1745 Vomited and started shivering;
1746 Severe convulsions - leapt into the air and struck the top of the cage (1.8m) - and fell on its right side - extreme convulsions - trying to rise, legs crossing , very stiff and shaking - eyes staring- unable to stand - convulsions of the very worst degree, muscular tremors over entire body - apparent no control over reactions ;
1755 Breathing stopped, stiffening of limbs- slight convulsions- slow deep breathing commencing; …….

And here is the experience of a New Zealand worker who handled - but did not ingest - 1080. "I finished the block, washed my gear and drove home. After I got home I had a bath, put my clothes on and I was staggering about. I got hold of the phone somehow and a member of a family I know came and found me. I was short of breath; very dry in the throat, and in convulsions on the floor. My eyesight was not good. An ambulance was called and I was treated and put on a stretcher and put into the ambulance. I tell you, I did think I was gone. It is not good to have a drip line and other things stuck in you: a very strange feeling. My oath that was a painful thing. My mate got to the hospital as soon as he could. All I can say is a stay in ICU is not funny: it put a whole new look on my life. I am of the view I could have died. It is not good when you can not get your breath. You feel sick, your vision is blurred, you shake, your throat goes dry...A top doctor did tests on my heart and he found no heart problems after three days. I have had no heart problems in the past or after my hospital stay"

And if you are not yet convinced here is the scientific description (from Dr Sean Weaver, Toxicology Study for NZ government):
The current scientific consensus is that sodium monofluoroacetate is a deadly human poison. According to the EPA (1987) "This material is super toxic. The probable oral lethal dose in humans is less than 5 mg/kg, or a taste (less than 7 drops) for a 150-lb. person." Exposure symptoms include nausea, blurred vision, numbness, low blood pressure, hyperactivity, excessive salivation, respiratory depression or arrest, cyanosis (blue tint to the skin and mucous membranes), vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactive behavior, convulsions, coma, ventricular fibrillation and heart failure. These are normally observed within 30 min of exposure, although evidence of severe effects may not be apparent for up to 20 hr following exposure (EPA 1987).
The pathway to toxicity is by ingestion inhalation, dermal absorption, eye and skin contact.
Once fluoroacetate has been absorbed or ingested it is converted to fluorocitrate in the body (Peters and Wakelin 1953), which is the toxic form of the chemical, where it accumulates in the fetus and certain organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and testes (McTaggart 1970; Sullivan et al 1979; Twigg et al 1988). Fluorocitrate, in turn, inhibits the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the Krebs cycle (Eason 1997; Schofl et al 2000) by competitively inhibiting the enzyme aconitate hydratase (Ataria et al 2000).
Here, citrate would normally be converted to aconitate, but the blocking of this leads to toxic accumulation of citrate. As a result, energy roduction (a key function of the Krebs cycle) falls, which in turn leads to cellular energy deprivation and death (Rammell and Fleming 1978; Twigg 1994). The accumulation of citric acid causes violent convulsions and death from cardiac or respiratory failure (Chi et al 1999).

At present strychnine , which is extracted from the dried ripe seed of the small tree Strychnos nux vomica, is the only legal poison allowed to be used in poison drop bait form in South Africa. In the 1860's it was used with great success to help obliterate the wolf of North America (Young1944) and is still used in attempted coyote management. Here in South Africa despite being associated with the death of hundreds of thousands of mammals and birds over the last century, the very animal that initiated its application - namely the jackal - is thriving (table 2)- and so is the coyote in the USA.

1080 has no advantage over strychnine to all practical intents and purposes.
Both poisons are stable, water-soluble and do not biodegrade easily.
Both have approximately the same dosages necessary to kill the species implicated in stock loss in South Africa (jackal=7mg strychnine / 10mg 1080), except 1080 is far more poisonous to domestic dogs
Both are not species specific,
Both have approximately same toxicity to birds (1.25-5mg/kg eagles)
Both cause secondary poisoning with the emphasis decidedly on 1080
In fact 1080 has some severe disadvantages over strychnine.

1080 poisoning is not treatable - strychnine poisoning is treatable
1080 poisoning results in a long drawn out death process lasting up to 36hrs in a jackal whilst strychnine acts much faster causing death within +'-2hrs.
1080 period can be carried much further afield onto neighbouring farms and protected areas by poisoned animals than strychnine due to the extended period to death.
1080 is much more toxic to dogs than strychnine
1080 is toxic to antelope, cattle and sheep within applicable mammal dosages -strychnine is not.
1080 causes muscular necrosis in skeletal muscle in birds with sub lethal dosages which will most probably result in death.
1080 has been shown to be significantly implicated in secondary poisoning and is found at toxic levels in cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue of victims which can lead secondary poisoning - whilst 80% of strychnine is broken down by the liver before death - so chances are very slim here...
Endocrine Disruption. And finally, if you are still not convinced, we have received several emails from scientists overseas who believe that 1080 is also an endocrine disruptor, which puts it in the same category as DDT, Thalidomide, and PCB's for the potential to cause breeding defects.

"Until the issue of possible endocrine disruption and partial persistence at cold temperatures is properly resolved, a number of public health and environmental questions will hang over 1080 use in New Zealand. It is important that proper experiments are conducted to determine if 1080 is or is not an endocrine disrupter once and for all. Until this evidence is available, the precautionary principle may give the anti-1080 lobby in New Zealand sufficient political grounds to convince lawmakers and local authorities that 1080 should not be used to the same extent in large-scale possum control operations." (Dr Sean Weaver, New Zealand)

Claim 5. That making 1080 available will bring the 'misuse of other pesticides under control'.
ANSWER: This is real Tobacco Industry style propaganda: what EWT is attempting to argue is that 'A vote for 1080 is a vote against the irresponsible use of other pesticides.' That is not a logical argument. Of course, the use of 1080 must be considered on its own merits and not confused with the treatment of other hazardous substances. In fact, the contrary is probably true: i.e. the more controls placed on the use of 1080 to make its use safer, the more likely lazy farmers are to use other poisons.

Claim 6. 1080 is a naturally occurring product that is labile (unstable) and subject to bacterial and natural decomposition. False Inference: It is not really so bad, chaps, we are only putting out a bit more of what is already there and it soon breaks up and goes away quietly like…tobacco smoke. I.e. there is little danger from secondary poisoning.
ANSWER: First, it lasts for months in water and carcases, making it a particularly bad source of secondary poisoning of non-target species - see the Cain Report, and various New Zealand studies. True, it does break down in living tissue and the soil; the problem is that when the poisoned animal dies, the breakdown process is interrupted. Thereafter, the poisoned carcase remains toxic for months. (75 days has been scientifically proved.)

Second, natural or not, to quote the leading New Zealand scientist for 1080, Dr Bill Eason (April 2002) "Anyone who compares the putting out of poisoned baits to the natural occurrence of monofluoroacetate in plants is stupid."

1080 causes vomiting within a short time period (+/-40mins) after ingestion and is found in the vomitis in high enough concentrations to threaten non-target animals (O'Brien et al 1986). However not all the poison will be vomited out leaving sufficient quantities in the gastrointestinal tract and cardiac tissue of dead animals with tragic consequences for other animals who may feed on the carcasses (Cain1971)). This is called secondary poisoning.

An enormous selection of non target animals including dogs, cats, dogs, birds, stoats and ferrets and even insects (Notman 1989) have been inadvertently killed in the USA, New Zealand and Australia both from feeding on carcasses intentionally laced with 1080 to kill target species (coyotes, Dingoes) and from feeding on carcasses of 1080 victims like rabbits, possums and rodents. (Cain 1971, Department Fish & Game USA -Wildlife and pesticides and , Algar & Kinnear 1996 and Alterio 2000). Nothing illustrates this so alarmingly as post mortems carried out in the 1960's on dead golden eagles, condors and fish eagles in the USA, which undisputedly showed 1080 to be present, both in their GI tract as well as in tissues (Cain 1971). Worse still, (Ataria2000) showed that 1080 causes necrosis of skeletal muscle in birds so that even if the poison did not kill them initially they would most probably die at later stage from the physical incapability. . So we can effectively say that the whole food chain from insects to mammals and birds is compromised and secondary poisoning does definitely occur.

Claim 7. 1080 is less toxic to birds of prey than mammals.
ANSWER: Even if birds require a higher dose than some mammals, birds are so much smaller that a jackal bait will kill even the largest eagle.

Claim 8. 1080 is tasteless and this is an advantage.
ANSWER: Far from being an advantage the fact that it is tasteless to humans makes it more dangerous, and the perfect murder weapon. As for animals, the progressive bait-shyness shown by all target species indicates that they can scent it, and that they learn to associate the scent with death.
Odourless? - after more than 30 years of attempted coyote poisoning in the USA using 1080 it was concluded that coyotes became bait shy.( Cain 1971, Beaudette 2001, Boddiker) - and even golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos ( Burns et al 1991) and in another instant skunks (Mephitis mephitis) developed an aversion to sub lethal doses of 1080. So just how do these animals develop a bait shyness for an "odourless" drug.

For the eagles - it's anyone's guess - but in the case of dog-like species (jackal & coyotes) - the answer is probably hidden in their +/- 220 million nasal receptors (humans 5mill) and enormous 7m² nasal membrane surface (humans 0.5m²)- (Fogle 1990). Research conducted at the CSIR showed that "sniffer" dogs could "smell out" petro-chemicals diluted to over a trillion times!! (pers com Kim Yates Forensic fire investigation). Coyotes have strong and close social bonds, as do jackals. A male and female pair for life and spend a great deal of time foraging together. The 1080 present in the vomit of a poisoned animal or even in a dead poisoned animal would most likely be smelt by the partner or members of the family thereby forming a negative association with the poison.

Claim 9. EWT is involved in complex and difficult research to be able to present 1080 to the authorities as a 'scientifically-developed, well-controlled and least environmentally damaging product.'
ANSWER: Talk about re-inventing the wheel. What research is this? Is an organization with a mission to protect endangered species involved in lethal and cruel experiments on animals such as caracals, in order to prove the product marketable in SA? We hope not! We require clarification on this point. We know that some of these experiments are futile, such as placing baits on bent fencing droppers.

Working daily with small mammals, we know from our own experience that the poison baits will be easily reached by all of our small mammals. The foxes (bat-eared and Cape) will jump for them, and the striped polecats, meerkats and mongooses (slender and yellow), will climb the droppers. The use of 1080 in SA will wipe out our small mammals - just as it did in USA (Cain Report).

Claim 10. "Farmers have a Constitutional Right to protect their livestock and economic activities against damaging natural influences".
ANSWER It is disingenuous and tendentious to include such an unqualified declaration. No constitutional right is absolute, and even a citizen's constitutional right to protect life and property is qualified by limitations imposed on us by society as to the means we are permitted to use. Similarly society has the right and responsibility to impose limitations on what farmers are permitted to do - which is precisely what we are all attempting to debate at present. In fact since Section 2 of the National Environment Act of 1998 imposed a duty on farmers to hold their land 'in trust for future generations', it is quite clear that farmers may not do as they like on their own land.

CONCLUSIONS. It must be accepted by anyone who has read the above with an open mind, that EWT has failed to give one single good, incontrovertible reason for importing such a hazardous substance and commencing to test it. In fact, the response of experts overseas to the EWT Press Release was one of ridicule. 'Fluff' they called it, meaning that the reasons were scientifically insubstantial. South Africa is bound to apply the "Precautionary Principle" which is built into our biodiversity law, which derives from the Convention on Biodiversity (See GG No18163) as read with Section 2 of the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998.
This Principle states that: "Where there is a threat of significant reduction or loss of biological biodiversity through inadequate or inconclusive scientific evidence to prove this, action should be considered to avoid or minimise threats."

The following recommendations are made to Government and readers of this paper:

The stockpile of 1080 imported by EWT should be confiscated and destroyed by government. Government should announce publicly that the import, possession or use of 1080 is banned - and then enforce the ban.
Cruel and lethal testing of 1080 on our wildlife by or on behalf of the conspirators, if it is taking place, or planned, must cease at once.
EWT should announce its renunciation of any use of 1080. Thereafter, EWT is invited to actively join the NSPCA and the animal welfare community in lobbying government to:
a. bring to an end the sale, use or possession of gin traps
b. abolish all laws segregating animals into the classification of 'problem animals';
c. outlaw all lethal methods of problem animal control.
d. educate all farmers (including the previously disadvantaged) in non lethal methods to safeguard their livestock from predators.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 762

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 04 AUGUST 2006 [IQP N1 -2006]

Question 762 for written reply, National Assembly:
Mrs P de Lille (ID) to ask the Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs:

(1) Whether the chemical 1080 Sodium Monofluoracetate has ever been declared legal in South Africa; if not, why not; if so, when was the chemical registered;

(2) Whether there are any legal procedures that individuals or companies in South Africa must follow to obtain special access to this chemical; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) Whether this chemical holds any danger for human beings; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) What procedure must be followed to report the illegal or irresponsible usage of any chemical drug in the agricultural sector? N941E

REPLY:

(1) Sodium Monofluoracetate (1080) has not been declared legal /registered in South Africa. The product is not regulated in the Department of Agriculture and no application for registration of Sodium Monofluoroacetate (1080) has been submitted to the Department of Agriculture. Sodium Monofluoroacetate (1080) is classified as a Group 1, Category A hazardous substance, and is regulated in terms of the Hazardous Substance Act, 1973 (Act No. 15 of 1973) in the Department of Health. According to the records of the Department of Agriculture, the product is not registered in South Africa in terms of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act No. 36 of 1947).

(2) Yes, there are legal procedures that companies and individuals must follow to obtain special access to Sodium Monofluoracetate (1080). It is regulated by the Department of Health under the Hazardous substance Act, 1973 (Act No. 15 of 1973) in the Directorate of Environmental Health. Enquiries can be directed to the Directorate of Environmental Health (the contact person is Mr S.M. Jikijela, Fax (012) 312 3181, E-mail: )

(3) Sodium Monofluoroacetate (1080) is a deadly human poison. The routes of entry are ingestion, inhalation, eye and skin contact. The main organs attacked are the cardiovascular system (heart), central nervous system (brain), respiratory system (lungs) and the renal system (kidneys). The main symptoms of 1080 poisoning in human resemble those of heart attack. Sodium Monofluoracetate (1080) can also be used to poison human and animals (mainly domestic pets). There is no antidote for treatment 1080 poisoning.

(4) The matter must be reported to the Department of Agriculture and addressed to the Registrar of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act No. 36 of 1947). The report must be send to: The Registrar, Act No. 36 of 1947, Private Bag X 343, 001 or Agriculture Place, 20 Beatrix Street, Arcadia, Pretoria. Fax: (012) 319 7851 E-mail: .

The matter must also be reported to the South African Police Services in the area where cases of human or animal poisoning occurred.
In case of illegal or misuse of Monofluoracetate (1080), all the reports must be send to the Directorate of Environmental Health, the contact person is Mr S.M. Jikijela, Fax (012) 312 3181, E-mail: )