Mystery vials found
to contain pesticide

The suspicious liquid in vials found under a Wilhelmina Rise house last week turned out to be one of the most widely used pesticides in the world.

The discovery of the vials at 1611-A Paula Drive had led to the evacuation of three homes and the arrival of Army experts from Maryland to identify the liquid.

An analysis released yesterday by the Army's 22nd Chemical Battalion revealed methyl bromide, which is used as a fumigant against insects and rodents in food products, tobacco and nursery plants.

The liquid in the ampoules would have turned to gas when exposed to oxygen, said a state pesticide expert. In large quantities, methyl bromide has the potential to be deadly to humans, said Bob Boesch, state Department of Agriculture Pesticides Program manager. Its use is limited to people certified in pest control.

"It was formerly used in tent fumigation; if you entered a tent, it could have killed you," Boesch said.

But the small portions found "might have been used similar to mothballs, such as in a footlocker, to get rid of pests," he said.

Despite its wide use in agriculture and food production around the globe, the United Nations is trying to curtail its use. Methyl bromide is believed to be a threat to the ozone layer of the atmosphere, one of several agents of potential global warming.

Emergency agencies treated the mystery vials as a potential deadly threat last Tuesday after state Department of Health officials, who had been alerted by the home's resident, responded to the discovery. The level of alert was raised when investigators learned the former owner of the house, the late Ernest Thomas, had been an Army chemical warfare officer. Thomas also had worked for Pacific Chemicals and Fertilizer for several years.

The Honolulu Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team led operations at the scene that involved the Army, police, National Guard, Oahu Civil Defense and ambulance crews on standby. Officials required occupants of 1611-A Paula Drive and two nearby homes to evacuate for two nights.

On Friday the 74 vials, packed in metal drums, were moved to Wheeler Army Airfield. A Hazmat team also picked up 30 similar glass ampoules of liquid from PF Marine on Sand Island. A worker called authorities after seeing news reports of the mystery vials at Wilhelmina Rise.

Army experts from Aberdeen, Md., used laser technology called Raman Spectrometer, which did not require opening the sealed tubes. The pesticide was identified in all the tubes. It will be disposed of according to government regulations, the Army said.

"I am very relieved," said Kelly McArthur, the home's resident, who had sought a way to dispose of the vials for several months. She was caregiver to Thomas, who died in 2003, and his wife, who died in November. "I didn't think he would have had something dangerous under their own home."

"Ever since I moved into this house, there have been absolutely no bugs," she noted.

"My neighbors have been great, very supportive," she added. "They totally understood; they wanted any toxins out of our neighborhood."

The incident underscores the importance of "recording the identity of every chemical you keep," Boesch said. "If you have a pesticide, keep it in the original container or copy the label so that people understand what it is. A container with no label generates fear."

McArthur "did the right thing," said Capt. Kenison Tejada, of the Honolulu Fire Department. "She didn't throw it away in the trash. There are a lot of things that are hazardous and should be disposed of safely. People should call us if they have a question."