I hate mosquitos as much as the next person. I have looked up Aqua-Reslin 20-20 (what we will be spraying) and its main ingredient is Permethrin. Pls note that this is a synthetic and not the natural pyrethrin that has less problems. It is a neurotoxin with much info, some newer, from the EPA. It states that children are most susceptible but that even with adults the amounts required for a reaction vary widely. Spraying doesn't even get to where mosquitos live and breed in this area. This can't be our best solution. http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/pyrethroids_summary.pdf Revised 2007 (most recent I found). Very possible that this info has not made it through all channels yet who had decided to spray this in previous years with older data.
Some excerpts from the above link:
Children are likely to be exposed to permethrin or resmethrin following use of products containing these insecticides, including pet flea control products (i.e. pet flea shampoos) on pets, lice shampoos, and community spraying with mosquito abatement products (1).
Studies in adult humans and experimental animals have demonstrated that permethrin, like other pyrethroids, alters nerve function by altering the biochemistry of nerve membrane sodium channels (2, 4). Acute exposure to permethrin or resmethrin in adults has been shown to result in skin irritation, dizziness, twitching, and nervous disorders (i.e., movement problems) (1-3). There are some developmental studies of the health effects of permethrin and resmethrin exposure. Reported effects include increased incidence of anti-nuclear antibodies which are markers of potential autoimmune disease (5), skin irritation (6), and respiratory irritation (6). One study demonstrated changes in neurologically-active proteins (c-fos and Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor, or BDNF) in young mice exposed to permethrin from birth via breast milk (7). Evidence is accumulating that pyrethroid exposure may also be neurotoxic during development (8).
III. TOXICITY SUMMARY5, 6
Exposures to pyrethroids in adult humans have resulted in skin irritant effects, dizziness, twitching, and nervous disorders; and the dose ranges at which symptoms occur vary widely for the different pyrethroids (1-4). Recent studies of children reported immunotoxic effects following exposure to pyrethroids, with increased incidence of anti-nuclear antibodies associated with autoimmune disease (5), and dermal irritation (including urticaria, which is red, itchy patches on the skin) (6). Respiratory irritation was also reported (6). Carcinogenicity Weight of Evidence Classification7: The U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Cancer Assessment Review Committee (CARC), in 2006, classified permethrin as "likely to be carcinogenic in humans" following oral, dermal, and inhalation exposure based on two reproducible benign tumor types (lung and liver) in the mouse, equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity in rats, and supporting structural activity relationship information with a Q1*=9.6x10-
Page 6 "V. Considerations for Decision-Makers" states that the section contains information for "decisionmakers who are interested in reducing the exposure and adverse health effects in children for this particular chemical." To reduce children's exposures to pesticides, a program called "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM) is available through the U.S. EPA that provides pest management alternatives to reduce pesticide residues in food (44), on lawns (45) and in schools (46). Pls note the lawn part -- and that the half-life of this chemical on lawns and in the surrounding dirt is for 30 days after spraying. The autoimmune conditions they refer to are expressed as ALS, MS, etc (Parkinsons) in other areas or documents. It is also mentioned that it can induce seizures in people with that tendency. Please read the entire document. I do not want this chemical sprayed. Our Public Works confirms that only adult flying mosquitos will be killed with this treatment. Our neighborhood, as many in St. Louis County, are surrounded by creeks and woods. This is a great thing about living here. However, in these creeks and woods the mosquitos will be safe and then simply shift into our living areas -- where we have to deal with the chemicals. Besides the human toxicity which most concerns me, it is also "highly toxic to aquatic life" and great care is supposed to be taken to keep it away from bodies of water and where it will drain into any waterway. www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/ factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm - slightly older, less info re: toxicity to humans but some info not included in the other sheet is here. I would be interested in your thoughts.
