Risk assessment of poisonous plants

Background: Of the 90,000 exposures involving children younger than 6 years of age reported to German poison centers (PCs) every year a !fth are caused by plants. A list of especially poisonous plants, which should not be planted in children’s playgrounds, was published in the “Bundesanzeiger” (Federal Gazette) in 2000. The BfR-Committee “Assessment of Intoxications” founded a work- ing group to re-assess the toxicity of plants to protect especially children from severe plant poisoning. Methods: The members of the working group de!ned criteria for risk assessment of plants in the close proximity of children’s playgrounds. Human exposure data, provided by the German PCs in Berlin, Freiburg and Erfurt and by the Swiss PC Zürich were reviewed as well as scienti!c publications about human exposures and about toxicity of ingredients of plants. Following the assess- ment of the toxicity of chemicals in analogy to the German Regula- tions on Dangerous Substances, poisonous plants were re-classifed into three categories, namely plants which could lead to minor poisoning, moderate poisoning and severe or deadly poisoning. Results: Out of 43,000 con!rmed accidental plant exposures from PCs in Freiburg and Berlin moderate or severe poisoning was expe- rienced in 1.3% restricted to 39 plants. Altogether, 280 plants were re-evaluated. Risk assessment changed for some of the especially poisonous plants of the 2000 list. For example the formerly moder- ate poisonous plants Lantana camara, Ilex spec., and Euonymus spec. were re-assessed as minor poisonous, and the formerly minor toxic Chelidonium majus was re-assessed as moderately toxic for the eyes. Conclusion: Human data about the risk of health damage after accidental ingestion of small amounts or by accidental dermal or ocular contact are mainly restricted to published case reports. The toxicity of ingredients and of preparations of plants for medical or psychoactive purposes may be completely different. The exposure data of PCs are very useful for risk assessment of plants present in the close proximity of children’s playgrounds, kindergartens, etc. The re-assessment and the !nal table of especially poisonous plants will be published again in the “Bundesanzeiger”.