THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF PUPIL POISONING

Ecoserv is called in following an alarming “mystery illness” at a northern KwaZulu-Natal school…

It was a case that made the national news and alarmed parents around the country.

Up to 113 pupils at the Gingindlovu Senior Primary School on KZN's north coast were stricken with what The Times termed “a mystery illness” in the early part of this month. And according to media reports, at least one child collapsed, while others complained of nausea, breathing problems, stomach pains, headaches, itchiness, restlessness and other symptoms, as did certain teachers.

Speculation as to the cause ran rife, while according to Education Department spokeswoman Mbali Thusi, quoted in The Citizen, the affected pupils were promptly given medical attention.

One pupil – the boy who collapsed – was actually airlifted to the Ngwelezane Hospital, while others were taken to Eshowe Hospital.

Gingindlovu Primary governing body chairman Priscilla Jacobs said in The Times that initially 88 pupils were affected and that the school was temporarily closed on a Friday. But when it was reopened on Monday, another 25 pupils were affected, and the school was closed that same day.

Ms Jacobs also said that among the more serious cases reported was a child with blisters on the scalp.

“That child was very ill, and her face and lips were swollen,” she told The Times .

Some reports even speculated that the blame might lie with asbestos poisoning, stated The Times , as the school's pre-fabricated classrooms are made predominantly from the potentially hazardous material.

However, Dr Jim Te Water-Naude of the Asbestos Relief Trust said that not only were the symptoms not typical of asbestos poisoning, but that such poisoning normally takes up to 10 years to manifest itself after initial exposure.

Very shortly afterwards, Sandy Camminga, Public Officer of the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA), was approached by the principal of Gingindlovu Senior Primary, Mr Padyachee, to see whether her organisation could help solve this disturbing and perplexing mystery.

Ms Camminga, a long-term client of Ecoserv, quickly contacted the organisation, headquarted in Westville, whose management and staff were deeply alarmed – especially as many of them have children of a similar age at various schools close to their offices.

At the time, it was unclear as to exactly which government department would have the final authority to resolve this issue, and Ecoserv immediately agreed to undertake testing to see whether any common pollutant – including benzene, ethyl benzene, xylene (BTEX), toluene, semi-volatile organics, and a range of pesticides and herbicides – was present.

Engen Refinery, meanwhile, assisted Ecoserv by lending a canister sample.

On the late afternoon of March 4, Ecoserv MD Quentin Hurt himself – under the supervision of Mr Padyachee – undertook sampling. Two sets were collected, one for local analysis; the other for more detailed analysis abroad, and the laboratories responsible both performed analyses within a mere eight hours of receipt.

The findings were comprehensive and unquestionable, although ultimately baffling – Chemtech in Pretoria reported low levels of traffic-related emissions, but otherwise nothing untoward or alarming. Meanwhile, some two days later, the other sample reached the SGS Italy laboratory, and their findings were almost identical in terms of compounds identified.

In the meantime – as schooling was carried on with pupils accommodated at the nearby Isandlwana High School – the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs was given the responsibility for assessing the air quality issues related to the incident, and regional manager Mr William Ngoma, along with Dr Timothy Fashuen, briefed Ecoserv on additional tests that were required.

For these, the focus then shifted to issues such as dust, metals and preservatives, and were executed by Robin Bissett, Senior Chemist, on March 20. The findings of this more detailed investigation are due to be released mid-April, while findings of other investigations by the Department of Water Affairs will shortly be released, too.

“We knew that it would be tough to find the bad actor so long after the fact.  However we hoped that we could at least show that it would be safe to re-open the school.  The request coincided with my fortieth birthday and it proved a wonderful vindication of the efforts we have put into providing the best environmental service in our region,” said Quentin Hurt.

“We were able to respond to the request of one of our best and most loyal customers in the form of the RBCAA, with the assistance of an equally concerned customer, Engen, to provide a highly credible response time. Our laboratory support from Chemtech and from our new partner, SGS Italy, was absolutely outstanding. 

“If ever I wanted a birthday present, Ecoserv's ability to draw on its network of concerned customers and labs to respond to the need of the kids at Ging exceeded my expectations,” added Quentin.

“Now if the traffic department would only reduce my speeding fine...”