Blood, phlegm and tears
David Bell claims he was sickened while working at a Davis biotech firm, but no
one’s listening
By Seth Sandronsky
Former Sacramento resident David Bell was healthy when AgraQuest, a Davis firm
that manufactures biological pesticides, hired him as a researcher and
technician in August 1998. Five months later, he came down with severe flu
symptoms. His face and teeth grew numb. Breathing became difficult and he
developed severe headaches. His nose bled and his sputum turned bloody.
Ten years, four sinus surgeries and numerous medical treatments later, Bell
remains incapacitated by the illness, which he and his mother, Sandi Trend, of
Citrus Heights, claim was caused by bacteria and fungi he was exposed to at
AgraQuest. Yet thanks to record-keeping errors and the amount of time that
passed before Bell realized what might be causing his illness, he has not been
compensated for the wages he lost, nor the six-figure medical expenses he’s
incurred since becoming sick.
But Bell and Trend are not giving up their quest. They’ve gone to the workers’
compensation board. They’ve contacted elected representatives. Now, they’ve
enlisted famed consumer advocate and Peace and Freedom Party presidential
candidate Ralph Nader in their cause. For Bell, it’s as much about restoring
his lost dignity as his health.
“I went looking for an honest job with AgraQuest,” said Bell, a Chico High
School graduate. He was laid off in June 1999, but quickly found new employment
with a biotech firm in Fairfield. It didn’t last. “I had to resign, due to
uncontrollable throwing up traveling to and from work on [Interstate] 80,” he
said. A husband and father of two youngsters, he could no longer serve as the
family’s breadwinner. “That took away my pride.”
AgraQuest was founded in 1995 by Pam Marrone, a respected entomologist who had
specialized in agriculture and insects at biotech giant Monsanto. Bell was a
semester away from earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Sacramento State
when he started at the company in 1998. According to the transcript from his
first workers’ compensation hearing, Bell worked primarily on two biopesticide
projects, Laginex and Serenade.
Laginex is the brand name of Lagenidium giganteum, a water mold (fungi), which
infects and kills mosquitoes. In a series of experiments, Bell documented what
happened in water with mosquito larvae and Laginex and how to lengthen the
biopesticide’s shelf life.
Serenade is a biopesticide used to control insects on crops. Its active
ingredients are the Bacillus subtilis bacteria, which AgraQuest first found in
a Fresno peach orchard. Bell tested soil samples taken from locations
worldwide, using a fermentation process to extract the bacteria. He and a
co-worker filled 10-kilo bags of Serenade from a larger drum. Bell did not wear
a respirator while loading the Serenade.
Full: http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=870890
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