Woman sick after caravan ‘nuked’
The Ministry for Primary Industries has launched an investigation after an Auckland woman fell violently ill when her imported caravan was treated with methyl bromide to kill some ants.
Trish Honey, of Oratia, said she suffered symptoms about 30 minutes after entering the caravan and it took weeks to fully recover.
She is scathing of New Zealand’s use of methyl bromide – a toxic, ozone-depleting gas which has to be phased out under international protocols. And she is furious that MPI told her the treatment was safe.
MPI has apologised for failing to respond when Honey emailed via its website in December.
After inquiries by Stuff, the ministry said it had asked its auditors to investigate the treatment provided by biosecurity company Genera, which handles most of the country’s methyl bromide fumigations.
Genera’s chief executive Mark Self said he didn’t know about the incident, which occurred in early December, until contacted by Stuff. He doubted that Honey’s illness was caused by methyl bromide because the caravan would have been fully vented before leaving the Ports of Auckland.
But he admitted the substance could react with rubber products such as door seals and bed mattresses, and it could continue to release gases, called mercaptans, for a long time.
Honey rubbishes that theory, as mercaptans – the same odour that comes from pulp and paper mills – are not considered harmful.
The caravan arrived at Honey’s property on December 3 after being treated – she uses the term ‘‘nuked’’ – days earlier.
She had bought the caravan from her brother in Australia and had it brought over, cleaning it thoroughly before it was shipped.
Honey, 61, grows her own food and hates chemicals, but had signed a waiver allowing the van to be treated.
A skull and crossbones sticker on the caravan said to vent it for one hour and 20 minutes before entering. To make sure, Honey called MPI. ‘‘They said ‘it’s safe, you don’t need to clean it, it’s had all the methyl bromide taken out of it before it leaves the wharf’.’’
She vented the caravan overnight. About lunchtime the next day she went inside to clean it, but noticed a chemical smell.
‘‘It was about 30 minutes before I started to feel real crook. The last thing I did was wipe the floor over . . . that was possibly the worst thing I could have done because this gas is heavier than air, so it sinks.’’
She was mostly bedridden for the next two weeks and said it took six weeks for her to fully recover.