Anvil Insecticide (from Medline
studies and reviews done by concerned organizations)
Anvil
is 10% sumithrin, 10% piperonyl
butoxide, 5% aromatic hydrocarborns(petroleum
solvents), 45% mineral oil. Piperonyl butoxide makes the pesticide more effective by preventing
insects from detoxifying sumithrin. Another name sumithrin goes by is Phenophrin. Manufacturers are not required to disclose
the inert ingredients, although they may be toxic also. Synthetic pyrethroids usually have synergists added to improve
effectiveness, yet decisions regarding the use of these pesticides are often
based upon toxicity tests using technical material without the synergist, piperonyl butoxide. The
insecticide activity of pyrethrins increases tenfold
when 1 part piperonyl butoxide
is mixed with 9 parts pyrethrin. Anvil is highly toxic to bees and fish. Piperonyl butoxide has been
classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a possible human
carcinogen.
Some of the degradation
products of phenothrin are estrogenic with known
adverse health effects:
The photochemical behaviour of five household pyrethroid
insecticides and a synergist as studied by photo-solid-phase microextraction. Fernández-Alvarez M, Lores M, Llompart M, García-Jares C, Cela R. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2007 Jul;388(5-6):1235-47; & Determination
of metabolites of pyrethroids in human urine using
solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Angerer J, Ritter A. J Chromatogr
B, Biomed Sci Appl. 1997 Aug 1;695(2):217-26; & Simultaneous
determination of pyrethroid and pyrethrin
metabolites in human urine by gas chromatography-high resolution mass
spectrometry. Leng G, Gries
W. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2005 Jan 25;814(2):285-94.
Phenothrin spraying to eliminate mosquitos
on airplanes in some countries subject to malaria has been found to cause
widespread adverse symptoms/effects to passengers and crew:
Effectiveness: “Applications of Anvil
at rates of 50 and 67% of maximum label rate were not effective.”
Thus applications at less than the maximum allowable rate may not be
effective for mosquito control:
Mosquitos are documented to become resistant to the effects of pyrethroid pesticides over time.
Fact
Sheet, JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE REFORM/ SUMMER 2003 • VOL. 23, NO. 2 http://www.pesticide.org/sumithrin.pdf
Sumithrin is a neuropoison. Symptoms of exposure include dizziness,
headache, fatigue and diarrhea.
In laboratory tests, sumithrin
has damaged the liver and the kidneys. It has also caused anemia and increased
the incidence of liver cancer.
In breast cancer cells, sumithrin
increases the expression of a gene that is involved with proliferation of cells
in the mammary gland. Sumithrin can also mimic
certain activities of the sex hormone estrogen and keep another sex hormone
from binding to its normal receptors.
Thousands of cat poisonings and some dog poisonings
have been reported following the use of some sumithrincontaining
flea control products.
Low concentrations of sumithrin
(as low as one part per billion) kill fish and other aquatic animals. Sumithrin is also highly toxic to bees.
Phenotrin
is another name for sumithrin. In 2005, the EPA
required Hartz Mountain Industries to cancel uses of
several flea and tick products containing phenothrin
that were linked to a range of adverse reactions, including hair loss,
salivation, tremors, and numerous deaths in cats and
kittens. In the short term, the agreement called for new warning labels on the
products.
Fact
Sheet: http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/pyrethroids/sumithrin.htm
Pyrethrin pesticides including
Anvil and Piperonyl Butoxide
have dangerous synergistic effects with other toxic chemicals- including other
types of pesticides, mercury, lead, Freon, carcinogens, etc. and with prescription
drugs- including aspirin. The effects
are greater on people with chronic health conditions such as atopic
individuals, people with chemical sensitivity, lupus, etc. A significant proportion of the general
population suffers from such conditions. Such effects have also been found for mammals
and beneficial insects. PB produces acute toxicity in mice
with certain freons, griseofulvins,
and benzo-a-pyrene and heptocarcinogenicity with freons. The
effects of PB on mammalian microsomal enzyme
functions suggests the possibility of human hazards due to in inhibition of
detoxification of environmental pollutants and drugs.
Influence
of pyrethroids and piperonyl
butoxide on the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of rat brain synaptosomes
and leukocyte membranes. Grosman N, Diel F. Int Immunopharmacol.
2005 Feb;5(2):263-70; & J Chromatogr.
1969 Apr 22;41(1):61-79. The
metabolism of piperonyl butoxide
in the rat with 14C in the methylenedioxy or alpha-methylene group. Fishbein
L, Falk HL, Fawkes J, Jordan S, Corbett B.
Additive
and synergistic inhibition of mammalian microsomal
enzyme functions by piperonyl butoxide,
safrole and other methylenedioxyphenyl
derivatives. Friedman MA, Arnold E, Bishop Y, Epstein SS. Experientia. 1971 Sep 15;27(9):1052-4.
[Synergistic action of a mixture of carbaryl and pipereronyl butoxylate], Mańkowska H, Styczyńska B. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 1976;27(3):331-6. Polish.
Synergistic toxicity and
carcinogenicity of 'freons' and piperonyl
butoxide.
Epstein SS, Joshi S, Andrea J, Clapp P, Flak H, Mantel N. Nature. 1967 Apr 29;214(5087):526-8.
Synergism
between insecticides permethrin and propoxur occurs through activation of presynaptic
muscarinic negative feedback of acetylcholine release
in the insect central nervous system.
Corbel V, Lapied B, et al, Neurotoxicology.
2006 Jul;27(4):508-19. Epub
2006 Mar 3.
Potentiation
of methylmercury toxicity by piperonyl
butoxide, Bulletin
of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 20, Number 1 / July, 1978;
Marvin A. Friedman
and L. Richard Eaton
Effects of lead and selected
pyrethroids/piperonyl butoxide alone and in combination on Na, K-ATPase; Brigitte Borchers;
Toxicological & Environmental
Chemistry, Volume 67, Issue 3 & 4 December 1998 , pages
363 - 377
Effects of Piperonyl Butoxide on the Toxicity and Hepatocarcinogenicity
of 2-Acetylaminofluorene and 4-Acetylaminobiphenyl, and Their N-Hydroxylated Derivatives, following Administration to
Newborn Mice, Keiji Fujii,
Samuel S. Epstein, Oncology
1979;36:105-112
Cellular
and Molecular Life Sciences,
Vol 27/No. 9, Sept. 1971
Synergistic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of 'Freons'
and Piperonyl Butoxide.
SAMUEL S. EPSTEIN, S. JOSHI, J. ANDREA, P. CLAPP, H. FALK & N. MANTEL ...
www.nature.com/nature/journal/v214/n5087/abs/214526a0.html
Cyclodextrin inclusion complex of piperonyl
butoxide
United States Patent 4524068
Pyrethroid Pesticide, www.kangmei.com
Piperonyl butoxide was evaluated by the 1966 Joint Meeting (FAO/WHO,
1967) and also considered in 1965 (FAO/WHO, 1965), 1967 (http://www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v072pr27.htm)
piperonyl
butoxide inhibits microsomal
oxidation of a wide
variety of
compounds which are detoxified by hydroxylation reactions.
This effect can explain the ability of piperonyl butoxide to prolong
the action of
barbiturates and zoxazolamine, slow the metabolism of
benzpyrene
and enhance the toxicity of pyrethrins. In addition,
piperonyl
butoxide has been shown to induce glucuronyl
transferase
following
prolonged exposure (Lucier et al., 1971).
Treatment of
mice by intraperitoneal injection resulted in a biphasic action on
microsomal
enzyme activities (Skrinjaric-Spoljar et al.,
1971;
Mathews et al., 1970; Kamienski and Murphy, 1971); activity returned
to levels that
were higher than normal after 24 to 72 hours. These
in vitro
studies were substantiated by in vivo tests on
hexabarbital
sleeping time. In addition to affecting microsomal
enzymes, oral
administration of piperonyl butoxide
at 1 gm/kg to rats
resulted in an
increased level of neutral lipid in blood, several
other tissues and
organs. No fat deposition was noted in liver,
kidneys, thymus or
testis, but an increased level was observed in
blood, heart,
spleen, pancreas, lungs and adipose tissue (Albro and
Fishbein, 1970).
Simultaneous administration of piperonyl butoxide potentiates the toxicity of coumaphos and its phosphate by a factor of four to six. There is some evidence that piperonyl butoxide interferes with detoxification of the organo-phosphorus insecticides (Robbins et al., 1959).Four groups of Swiss mice were given subcutaneous injections of tricaprylin solutions containing one of the following compounds: trichloromonofluoromethane, tetrachlorodifluoroethane and trichlorotrifluoroethane (10% concentration) and piperonyl butoxide (5% concentration). Two groups of mice were given the following combinations by subcutaneous injection: tetrachlorodifluoroethane (10%) plus piperonyl butoxide (5%) and trichlorotrifluoroethane (10%) plus piperonyl butoxide (5%). The mice received the injections at the ages of 1, 7, 14 and 21 days. In those groups which received piperonyl butoxide, either alone or in combination, the total dose of piperonyl butoxide was about 5-10 g/kg body-weight. After 50-52 weeks the incidence of hepatomas in the groups which received the individual compounds was 5 of 126 (about 4%), and the total incidence in the two groups which received piperonyl butoxide in combination with a "Freon(R)" was 8 of 33 (about 24%).
Anvil
MSDS: http://www.starkhealth.org/chemical_pdfs/Anvil-22.PDF
Chemical Watch Factsheet, NCAMP, http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticides/factsheets/Piperonyl%20Butoxide.pdf
Cancer
PBO is labeled as a group C
carcinogen, a possible human carcinogen. 23 Currently
there is no data from accidental exposure available regarding its
carcinogenicity in humans; the only information is from animal studies. Several
studies have shown that PBO treatment in rats causes an increase in liver
cancer at high doses.24 Some studies
have shown that PBO treatment in rats corresponds with a very slight increase
in thyroid cancer.25
Immune System Effects
PBO weakens the immune system by inhibiting lymphocyte
response.30 Lymphocytes are a class of white blood cells that
consume potentially dangerous pathogens and release antibodies. Inhibiting
lymphocyte response weakens the body’s ability to defend against foreign
invaders. Furthermore, by preventing the breakdown of toxic chemicals, PBO
increases the damage they can do to the body.
Reproductive Effects
PBO has been shown to adversely affect a variety of
reproductive functions. Two-generational laboratory studies on rats show that
litter weight and size are less for mothers exposed to high concentrations of
PBO, and there is an increase in birth defects and fetal death.31 In
one study the difference in the average weight of PBO-exposed offspring
immediately after birth is negligible, but 7-14 days post-natal is
significantly greater for those mothers that are exposed to PBO than for those
that are not.32 EPA maintains that results for teratogenicity
(the ability to produce birth defects) in animals have been mixed,33 and
while some studies suggest some teratogenicity, most
do not. PBO may also interfere with sexual development because the enzymes it
inhibits are responsible not only for the breakdown of toxic chemicals but also
for the metabolism of other compounds such as steroids, which include the sex
hormones. Rats exposed to PBO over the course of two years experience an
atrophy of the testes a decrease in weight of the seminal vesicles (sperm
producing structures), and an increase in ovarian weights. 34 There
is no evidence that PBO affects fertility.35
Neurotoxicity
Data has shown that PBO alone interferes with enzymes
that maintain homeostasis of sodium and calcium in the brain and nervous
system, possibly affecting neural response.36,37 Additionally,
it increases the neurotoxicity of other compounds.38
Behavioral changes have been noted with PBO as well. In
a laboratory experiment, exposed rats experience more trouble navigating a maze
than unexposed rats. The exposed rats travel longer distances and turned more
frequently in the maze.40 PBO also induces changes in olfactory behavior of the
offspring of exposed mothers. Offspring of exposed mothers are less likely to
enter a compartment that smells like home than unexposed mothers.41 Exploratory behavior in mice increases as the dose of PBO they
were treated with increased.42 This data shows that PBO has the ability to affect
behaviors in mammals.
Other Chronic Effects
Research on rats has found that PBO can cause
intestinal ulcers and bleeding.43 Liver damage is common in studies,44 and
kidney damage has been found as well.45 Long-term
ingestion of PBO causes anemia, a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin (oxygen-transporting
molecules) in blood,46 and
increases the blood cholesterol level in rats.47 PBO can also damage the larynx, and there have been
reports that it can cause labored breathing, an accumulation of fluid in the
lungs,48 nasal
bleeding, abdominal swelling, and loss of the ability to coordinate muscle movement.49
There has been a fair amount of
investigation into the effects of dermal contact with PBO since it is used as a
topical agent for lice, but there has been no evidence of it causing any local
or systemic toxicity, and the amount of PBO absorbed from skin contact is
characterized by some researchers as low.50
Environmental Effects
PBO is considered moderately toxic to fish, moderately
to highly toxic to invertebrates (including crustaceans and insects), and
highly toxic to amphibians.51
In one
study, concentrations of less than one part per million (ppm)
killed water fleas, shrimp, and oysters.52 It
is also very toxic to a common type of earthworm.53 Ingested
PBO has a low to very low toxicity in birds.54
Not only does PBO kill organisms,
it is known to interfere with the reproduction of many types of wildlife at
much lower concentrations than those required for mortality. The bio-concentration
potential for PBO is low,55 but can be moderate in some aquatic organisms.56 PBO also
inhibits the breakdown of toxic chemicals in wildlife and the soil, increasing
the concentrations of other, more acutely potent, pesticides.
Fort Worth, TX, Washington, DC,
Murfreesboro, TN and other cities across the nation have decided not to spray
because of the high incidence of asthma in their cities, research that shows
spraying is ineffective and concerns for children and people with breathing
problems. (See the link "Why
other
Acute
symptoms vary from person to person. Some symptoms are: eye, nose or throat
irritation, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, runny or stuffy nose, chest pain or
difficulty breathing, headaches, numb or prickly feeling on face or hands. cities have chosen
not to spray.”) http://www.nospraynashville.org/whoisatrisk.html
Scientific
studies of sumithrin, resmethrin
reveal serious safety concerns
For
three years, government officials soothingly told us that malathion, sumithrin
(Anvil), resmethrin (Scourge) and other pesticides
used in repeated rounds of mass spraying are harmless. But almost every product
brought to us by the highly profitable chemical industry is said to be harmless
until, the hard way, we frequently find out otherwise. During the 1960s, even
deadly DDT was said to be harmless!
This
is not to say that every human-made product is dangerous. Raising unnecessary
alarms should not be the goal of any environmental organization. But neither
should we blindly accept assurances that every chemical put to wide use is
safe. Government officials blandly assure us these pesticides are safe (while
telling us to hide indoors!) and the newspapers, radio and television seek to
incite hysteria without finding the space or time to report pertinent facts.
Worse,
what research has been conducted on them raises serious concerns. A thorough
investigation into the pesticides being used in New York aerial and ground
pesticide-spraying programs can result in only one conclusion they cause
serious harm to human, animal and marine health.
People
naively assume that pesticides undergo lengthy testing by the government before
being cleared for use. But that is not so. Instead the government accepts the
minimal testing done by the manufacturers themselves until sufficient evidence
of injury accumulates.
Another
common misconconception: Pesticides such as sumithrin are not natural and are not made from
chrysanthemum flowers as is often claimed. Sumithrin,
resmethrin and permethrin
belong to a class of pesticides known as pyrethroids,
which are synthetic analogs of
chrysanthemums (Anvil) and dandelions (Scourge). Pyrethroids
are not natural! These pesticides are
often promoted as “safer” than malathion,
an unrelated organophosphate, but this is not true.
Pyrethroids
are toxic to the thyroid and immune system, among other concerns. No safe
exposure level has been scientifically established for avoiding hormonal and
other adverse effects, nor has the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) set an exposure limit.
Sumithrin/Anvil
could lead to breast cancer
The
link between sumithrin and breast cancer is not
proven -much more research is needed in this area. But a study conducted by a
scientist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine is troubling. This study,
published in the peer-reviewed Environmental
Health Perspectives [Vol. 107, No. 3, March 1999], concludes “These
findings suggest that pyrethroids should be considered to be hormone disruptors,
and their potential to affect endocrine function in humans and wildlife should
be investigated.” This study indicates pyrethroids
disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking the effects of the female hormone
estrogen. This in turn can cause breast cancer in women and lowered sperm
counts in men. When estrogen levels are elevated, old cells are not removed
from the body and cell proliferation occurs, whether benign or malignant.
The
Roger Williams General Hospital, Brown University in Providence, R.I.,
conducted a study on pyrethroids, which concluded:
“chronic exposure of humans or animals to pesticides containing these compounds
may result in disturbances in endocrine effects.” [Steroid Biochem, March 1990;
35(3-4):409-14.]
A
report issued in June 2000 by the Royal Society in England and written by a
group from Cambridge University called for international cooperation to deal
with the dangers posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including pyrethroids, and recommends reducing human exposure to
these chemicals. Due to concern in this area, Health Canada is currently
conducting a retrospective study of around 2,000 Ontario farm families related
to the risk of various reproductive outcomes, such as time to pregnancy,
spontaneous abortion and pre-term delivery.
Other health dangers of Sumithrin
There
are several other health concerns associated with sumithrin, and still more health concerns with other
chemicals used with sumithrin in the product known as
Anvil. Don¹t take our word for it -- the United States government and the
manufacturer of Anvil give plenty of evidence of these dangers. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency lists sumithrin as a suspected gastrointestinal
or liver toxicant. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances lists sumithrin as a suspected kidney toxicant and suspected neurotoxicant.
Sumithrin
is on the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) list. The TRI listing requires
manufacturers to report the release of sumithrin.
TRI-listed chemicals require such information due to their exceptionally
hazardous status under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
The
International Chemical Safety Card, produced by the International Programme on Chemical Safety and the Commission of the
European Communities, writes about sumithrin:
"prevent generation of mists. This substance may be hazardous to the
environment; special attention should be given to fish." It also states
that no tolerable levels have been established for this substance. [This report
is available from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0313.html,
the Centers for Disease Control¹s web site.]
There
are many effects that can result from exposure to sumithrin.
Inhaling can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting,
runny or stuffy nose, chest pain or difficulty breathing, as well as delayed
long-term neurotoxic effects, including optic and
peripheral neuropathy. Skin contact can cause rashes, itching or blisters.
Young children, seniors and people with asthma are the most at risk from sumithrin exposure. The Pesticide Management Education
Program at Cornell University reports: “Asthmatic wheezing may be precipitated
by exposure of predisposed individuals.” Additionally, according to the second
edition of the book “The Best Control” by Steve Tvedten,
people with multiple sclerosis are in danger because
they may be on medication that affects sodium and potassium ion diffusion
through neuron axons.
Sumithrin
is highly toxic to bees and fish. The label on Anvil, the brand of sumithrin used, states “This product is toxic to fish. For
terrestrial uses, do not apply directly to water, or to areas where surface
water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark.” It can
also remain in the environment -- the half-life (the length of time for 50
percent of a substance to disintegrate or to decay into another substance) of sumithrin in soil has been calculated to be as long as 16
weeks (although it can be less than this).
Health problems with other chemicals
in Anvil
The
full name of the sumithrin product being used in the
mass-spraying operations is Anvil 10 + 10 ULV. It has this name because the
product is comprised of 10% sumithrin and 10% piperonyl butoxide (PBO). PBI is
itself a hazardous chemical. These are the two “active” ingredients. The
remaining 80% consists of white mineral oil and polyethylbenzene.
PBO
is added to make the sumithrin more effective. It
acts by inhibiting naturally occurring enzymes that would otherwise degrade the
insecticide. PBO breaks through the insect¹s defense, making the insecticide
more powerful.
PBO
is suspected of being a carcinogen by the EPA¹s Office of Pesticide Programs.
It is also listed as a suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, and a
suspected neurotoxicant, by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health¹s Registry
of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. And it was reported as a
suspected reproductive toxicant by J. Jankovic in “A
Screening Method for Occupational Reproductive Health Risk,” published in American Industrial Hygiene Association
Journal. [57: 641-649. 1996.] Another test that
indicates that PBO may be carcinogenic is reported by a California
environmental products company, Safe2Use, which cited a study by Environmental
Chemistry Inc., a Texas environmental laboratory that primarily serves the
chemical industry.
Piperonyl
butoxide is ranked more hazardous than most chemicals
in two out of three ranking systems, and is also on the federal government¹s
TRI list. Both piperonyl butoxide and sumithrin are dangerous chemicals of and by themselves.
Put them together and the dangers exponentiate far
more than the sum of the individual parts. This is known as a “synergistic
effect.” Synergistic effects have barely begun to be studied.
Polyethylbenzene (PEB), also known as heavy aromatic solvent naptha (petroleum), is widely used in pesticides. PEB is
listed on the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs¹ Inert Pesticide Ingredients
List No 2, which is a list of 64 substances the EPA “believes are potentially
toxic and should be assessed for effects of concern. Many of these inert
ingredients are structurally similar to chemicals known to be toxic; some have
data suggesting a basis for concern about the toxicity of chemical.” PEB is
related to ethylbenzene, which is listed as a
suspected reproductive toxicant and a suspected respiratory toxicant by the
EPA.
The white mineral oil, also known as
hydrotreated light paraffinic petroleum distillate,
is also listed on the EPA¹s Inert Pesticide Ingredients List No 2 of potentially
toxic chemicals.
According
to Cornell¹s Pesticide Management Education Program, hydrocarbons used as
solvents in spray products are likely to result in coughing, fever and chest
pain (hydrocarbon pneumonitis) if these liquid mists
are breathed in.
The
80% of Anvil that is not sumithrin or PBO are
referred to as “inert” ingredients, a common labeling technique. But the term
“inert” can be misleading; the EPA¹s Pesticide
Regulation Notice 97-6 actually encourages manufacturers to voluntarily refrain
from the use of the word "inert,” preferring “other ingredients,” due to
consumers incorrectly assuming inert means “safe.”
Resmethrin/Scourge
a developmental toxicant
esmethrin is listed as a developmental
toxicant on California¹s Proposition 65 list, which catalogs chemicals known
for reproductive toxicity. According to Environmental Defense¹s
<scorecard.org> service, a chemical makes this list "if an
independent science advisory board has concluded they possess sufficient
evidence of such toxicity in animals or humans, or if an authoritative
organization such as the National Toxicology Program have reached a similar
conclusion, or if a federal regulatory agency requires a reproductive toxicity
warning label.” Resmethrin is also listed by the EPA
as a suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant.
Even
the Centers for Disease Control says resmethrin “may
be hazardous to the environment; special attention should be given to fish and
honey bees.” The CDC acknowledges the pesticide has short-term effects of irritating
the eyes and the skin, while it is does not know what
the long-term effects might be. <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcs/ipcs0324.html>
The
International Programme on Chemical Safety says that
some liquid formulations of resmethrin are “highly
flammable” and/or explosive. The IPCS is a joint activity of the United Nations
Environment Program, the International Labor Office and the World Health
Organization.
The
brand of resmethrin being used for spraying in the
New York area is Scourge. The formulation of Scourge includes piperonyl butoxide.
Multiple
dangers associated with malathion
The
organophosphate malathion
a derivative of nerve gas received most of the attention in late 1999, when
the City of New York launched a massive aerial spraying of it. Malathion is rightly regarded as a hazardous substance.
The City of New York¹s Chem-Bio
Handbook says that exposure to malathion can
cause “headache, nausea, vomiting, cramps, weakness, blurred vision, pin-point
pupils, tightness in chest, labored breathing, nervousness, sweating, watering
eyes, drooling or frothing of the mouth and nose, muscle spasms and coma.”
The
handbook goes on to say that “other acute effects can include mental confusion,
frequent urination, stomach cramps, diarrhea and seizures. Chronic effects of malathion exposure include delayed
neurological effects including pain, numbness and weakness in the extremities,
which may persist for months or years. Also, central nervous system damage
(memory, mood, motor coordination, etc.).”
Malathion
is a suspected toxicant in these areas: cardiovascular or blood, endocrine,
gastrointestinal or liver, neurologic, respiratory, and skin or sense organ by
various governmental agencies. It is also reported to be among the top 10%
of chemicals in terms of hazards to the ecosystem, by Environmental Defense, a
nonprofit conservation group.
The International Chemical Safety Card gives this
blunt warning about malathion:
“Prevent generation of mists! Strict hygiene. Avoid
exposure of adolescents and children!”
But young people, and others, were repeatedly exposed to large doses of the
pesticide in late 1999. The Safety Card goes on to say that short-term health
effects of malathion
exposure “may cause effects on the nervous system, resulting in convulsions,
respiratory failure.”
Humans
are not the only beings in danger from malathion.
The manufacturer¹s label says it is “toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates and
aquatic life stages of amphibians ... This product is highly toxic to bees
exposed to direct treatment.” During the late 1999 spraying, more than 2,000
fish were killed in a Staten Island lake, a mass dying that the New York state
Department of Environmental Conversation admitted was due to malathion. Staten Island residents also reported that bees
had disappeared from areas where they were normally present in large numbers.
It is also feared that significant damage was done to monarch butterflies,
which were migrating through the New York area during the fall 1999 spraying.
No
Spray Coalition
c/o Mitchel Cohen
2652 Cropsey Avenue, #7H
Brooklyn, NY 11214
www.nospray.org
Effect of pyrethroid-based liquid mosquito repellent
inhalation on the blood-brain barrier function and oxidative damage in selected
organs of developing rats; Gupta A, Nigam D, Gupta A, Shukla GS, Agarwal AK; J Appl Toxicol. 1999 Jan-Feb;19(1):67-72;
Top 10 Lies About West Nile
Virus and Anvil Insecticide Spray
http://www.rense.com/general3/lieswnv.htm