Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 May 2008.

Health: Organophosphates

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:What data are available on the diazoxon content of diazinon sheep-dip residues; and whether diazoxon is ever detected as a metabolite in humans after they have operated such dips.

Answer: Samples of sheep kidney fat are analysed as part of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's national surveillance scheme for residues of diazinon. The marker residue for calculating whether residues detected have breached the maximum residue limit, as laid down in Annexe I of Council regulation 2377/90, is the parent compound (diazinon). The analytical method used for the surveillance programme does not therefore check for residues of diazoxon and so no data are held. In humans, research has been carried out on enzymes such as paraoxonase which hydrolyse diazoxon. However, the Government have not specifically commissioned studies of diazoxon in humans.

Secondary information