Affidavit of Granville F. Knight, MD

State of California
County of Los Angeles

I, Granville F. Knight, M.D. being first duly sworn, say:

1. My name is Granville F. Knight. I am a physician in private practice in the City of Santa Monica, specializing in allergy. I am not only a member of the Los Angeles County Medical Association and a Fellow of the American College of Allergists, but a member, or Fellow, of 10 or 12 other medical societies. I am also a member of the Los Angeles County Milk Commission and was recently reappointed to a second term.
2. I have been interested in the subject of pesticide toxicity for more than 20 years and have clinically investigated many cases of pesticide poisoning over that period of time.
3. In 1952, I testified before the DeLaney Committee to investigate the use of Chemicals in Foods and Cosmetics. I recently presented testimony on the subject of pesticides before the Los Angeles County committee appointed to look into the subject; the Los Angeles City Council and the California State Committee on Environmental Quality.
4. I am thoroughly convinced that toxic reactions to pesticides are much more common than has been suspected in the past. Unfortunately, except for the reports of a few individuals such as Morton S. Biskind, M.D., of Westport, Connecticut; the late Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., M.D., of Monrovia, California; Malcolm Hargraves, Member Emeritus of the Mayo Clinic and a few others, the syndrome of pesticide intoxication has received little publicity and most scientists are unaware of the toxic potentialities of contact with these chemicals.
5. Twenty years ago, I began studying cases of suspected pesticide poisoning–most of which exhibited symptoms which have become more and more common since that time. These symptoms include headache, severe pains in the chest, back or extremities, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, often preceded or followed by upper respiratory infection. These strange syndromes have been characterized by a tendency to chronicity and to recurrence in waves. This is typical of the symptomatology produced by the organic phosphates, the chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, and the phenoxy herbicides, as documented by Morton S. Biskind, M.D., many years ago. In this category are not only 2,4-D, 2,4-DP, 2,4,5-T, and Silvex (2,4,5-DP), but DDT, Endrin, Aldrin, Chlordane, Lindane, Methoxychlor, and other pesticides of different chemical structure such as the Trizines, Zectran and others.
6. Many of these pesticides, particularly DDT, have been used in increasing amounts since 1949 and some of them are now distributed worldwide, reaching both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Wind currents carry these pesticides as a result of sprays and evaporation, or residues picked up from plants or the soil. We know that pesticides, when applied by air, were subject to widespread drift which may reach several hundred miles in the case of extremely small particles. It has been estimated that in forest application no more than twenty percent reaches the target; the remainder contaminates the environment.
7. Interestingly enough, the symptoms produced in susceptible individuals by contact with the organic phosphates, the chlorinated hydrocarbons and the phenoxy herbicides as well as other weed killers are similar to, and perhaps identical with, the symptoms of many virus infections which have now become common in the past twenty years. It is almost impossible to distinguish between them. A high index of suspicion is essential and a careful history may at times elicit the fact that symptoms followed exposure and re-exposure to pesticide sprays, whereas before that time, they had been attributed to a virus infection. Chemical solvents may also produce illness.
8. Incidentally, these symptoms are completely different than the usual allergic manifestations of hay fever or allergic rhinitis and asthma, which would be caused by pollens. Recently there have been complaints of extremely severe headaches unrelieved by aspirin, pressure.in the chest, severe pains in various parts of the body, including the chest, back and extremities, malaise, emotional depression and extreme fatigue of long duration. (These complaints are typical of symptoms produced by pesticides and tend to recur in cycles of one, two or three weeks.)
9. The phenoxy herbicides, which include 2,4-D, 2,4-DP, 2,4,5-T, Silvex, and others, are used primarily as postemergence herbicides. They have been in widespread use since 1952, and have been applied to our national forests up and down the coast of California and as far north as Canada. They are useful in preserving firebreaks and also for what is called “brush conversion”, which consists of destroying brush with the hope that young trees may be freed and that stands of grass may eventually take the place of the brush. 2,4,5-T and Silvex contain an obligatory contaminate namely Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to man. This is one hundred thousand to one million times more potent than Thalidomide in producing birth deformities in animals. Any amount of this Dioxin in air, food or water is too much.
10. Unfortunately, according to the “Report of the Secretary’s Commission on Pesticides and Their Relationship to Environmental Health”, Parts I and II, U.S. Department of H.E.W., December, 1969, they found in the literature about forty-two scientific studies. referring to mutagenic testing of some compounds. Thirty-one of the thirty-two compounds tested showed mutagenic activity in at least one system. In other words, in experimental animals, these chemicals produce changes in the chromosome pattern of living creatures, leading to mutations of various types–none of them desirable.
11. The phenoxy herbicides, 2,4-D, 2,4-DP, 2,4,5-T and Silvex, are not only mutagenic but teratogenic, and probably carcinogenic, or cancer-inducing, as well.
12. Analysis of about thirty blood samples from patients of mine showed, in more than half of them, evidence of 2,4-D, 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T or Silvex, indicating contamination which must have come from the air, since the latter two have reportedly not been used by the state or the Los Angeles County for the past three years. It is important to note that “Agent Orange”, consisting of equal parts of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, was used in tremendous quantities in South Vietnam as a defoliant and was finally banned when it was suspected of causing severe damage to human beings and the environment. How curious that citizens of the United States, and particularly California, should be exposed to these two compounds, as well as 2,4-DP and Silvex, by drift from spraying in our national forest up and down the coast over a period of 20 years.
13. From my observations and studies, I am convinced that contact with these phenoxy herbicides, in susceptible individuals, may produce symptoms ranging from mild to extremely severe, with the possibility of irreversible damage. Such exposure is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and for young children.
14. I strongly suspect that our recurrent waves of upper respiratory and abdominal symptoms which have been attributed to viruses may be due in part to contact with the phenoxy herbicides. I believe they lower resistance to viruses and perhaps even act as viruses themselves. Of significance in this respect is the finding of the Bionetics Studies that all these compounds when tested in mice would produce birth deformities and cancer. Of great interest was the fact that many of these animals developed virus pneumonia under test conditions.
15. It is my considered opinion that the use of phenoxy herbicides and other herbicides, such as Simazine, Paraquat, Sovin, Atrazine, Zectran and others, constitute a serious hazard to unsuspecting citizens. I believe that application for these compounds by airplane or helicopter should be banned. Ground spraying can still produce drift and should be carefully monitored if any exceptions are made in this area.
16. The enclosed reprint “What Are Pesticides Doing to Human Beings?” which has been recently revised and updated, contains some interesting information and references.

Further, I declare that if sworn in as a witness, I can competently testify that the foregoing statements are true and correct.

Executed this 16 day of August, 1973, at Santa Monica, California.