Toxic gas cited as factor in woman's death

The death of a Nelson woman who became ill after handling products fumigated by methyl bromide has been referred to a coroner to determine if the cancer she died from was caused by the toxic gas.

Lisa Scott, 40, died in Christchurch on March 9, 10 months after she was diagnosed with the disease, The Nelson Mail said.

Methyl bromide, a toxic fumigant used to rid imported goods of biosecurity risks, has been linked to the deaths of six port Nelson workers from motor neurone disease since 2000.

Ms Scott worked at a Nelson import shop and unloaded containers of stock fumigated with methyl bromide.

She told The Nelson Mail in 2005 her health seriously deteriorated after working at the store and she believed she had been poisoned by the gas.

Ms Scott's mother, Rosemary Joy, said a postmortem was carried out on her daughter and her death had been referred to the coroner because of her daughter's conviction that methyl bromide caused her cancer.

The coroner's findings are expected to take six months.

- NZPA