At first glance, mosquito spray seems like a dream come true. What’s more annoying than getting eaten up when you’re just trying to be outside when the weather is nice? Keeping mosquitos at bay with the simple use of a convenient spray sounds too good to be true. The facts show that it really is. Mosquito spray contains so many toxic chemicals that it makes sense that the pesky little bugs would stay away. Packed full of damaging ingredients, sprays such scourge, anvil, permethrin, and malathion are substances that humans and mosquitoes alike should steer clear of. Not only that, but mosquito spray can be especially detrimental to the health of children and other local insects and animals.
Scourge is the first destructive chemical found in most mosquito sprays. It’s a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, which affects the nervous system. According to Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, they’ve been connected to thyroid and liver problems, and also threaten to interfere with the immune and endocrine systems. Containing piperonyl butoxide, which was designed to increase the effectiveness of the active ingredient, it’s classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a possible carcinogen.
Anvil is the second pesticide on this deadly list. Similar to Scourge, it contains 10% piperonyl butoxide. Another active ingredient in Anvil is Sumithrin, which is a pyrethroid insecticide. Studies show this may affect the central nervous system. On top of that, it displayed demonstrate significant estrogenicity in a study done in 1999 by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. This essentially means that the chemical may promote tumor growth in reproductive organs including prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Next is Permethrin. It’s a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide and neurotoxin, which makes it more toxic to children than adults. Something not many people are aware of is their toxicity to fish, crustaceans, and bees. For this reason, the EPA designed restrictions to outlaw their direct application to open water within 100 feet of lakes, streams, rivers, or bays. This chemical is also classified as a carcinogen by the EPA. It has been proven to cause immune system damage on top of birth defects.
Malathion, an organophosphate, is an insecticide that can cause acute and long-term neurological health problems. It is currently being reviewed by the EPA for its potential of being a low-level carcinogen, as it’s harmful to fish and extremely poisonous to aquatic invertebrates and amphibians.
Organophosphates are pesticides that work by damaging an enzyme found in the mosquito’s body called acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme is vital for controlling nerve signals in the body. The damage to this enzyme not only kills pests, but also causes negative side effects when humans have exposure. This is a problem, as once this chemical is sprayed, it’s hard to avoid at least a small amount of exposure. It all starts once it’s initially sprayed. Before it hits the ground, tiny particles hold the potential of being carried away in the wind. This could allow them to settle in on soil, or find their way to bodies of water. After a spraying, a residue of the substance can also be found on the surface of plants. Not only that, but they can move through the soil and contaminate water in the ground. When ingested, this toxin threatens a plethora of symptoms. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, headache, dizziness, weakness, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are milder of the symptoms. In more severe cases, victims display seizures, a slow pulse, difficulty breathing, and sometimes even can slip into comas. After prolonged exposure, people have been found to develop anxiety, confusion, loss of memory and appetite, disorientation, depression, and even personality changes. Organophosphates yield the potential for deadly results of exposure as well. As Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, certain studies on children link exposure to the substance with childhood cancers like soft tissue sarcomas, leukemias, and brain cancer. Lab rats exposed to organophosphates showed increased levels of adrenal, thyroid, and pancreatic tumors. They even tested to cause lower birth weights and higher death rates in newborn animals. The craziest part about all of this is that the usage of organophosphates was banned in the United States in 2000, but was rescinded by the current administration. In the time that it was banned, the US National Pesticide Information Center reports that incidents involving this chemical shrunk from over 200 in the year 2000 to less than 50 in 2003 following the ban. Why bring it back? The dangers far outweigh the microscopic benefits.
One aspect most people fail to consider is the effects spraying for mosquitos holds on other animals. Unfortunately for them, mosquito spray doesn’t discriminate in the creatures it exterminates, leading to decreased levels of bees, butterflies, fireflies, and even hummingbirds. Any town should be alarmed to see decreasing rates of the aforementioned insects, as they are a key part of the ecosystem. Bees are responsible for “pollinating over 90 different types of foods that we eat every day. In fact, an estimated one-third of all food is dependent on bee pollination, making them a vital part of the natural ecosystem, not only in North America but across the globe (bredapest.com).” Butterflies and fireflies are part of the diets of birds and bats alike, which also aide in eating mosquitoes. The hummingbird isn’t just pleasant to look at; it’s also an essential predator to the mosquito population. Taking hummingbirds out of the picture just to kill a few mosquitos is not only unethical but counterproductive to the objective. Due to the harmful chemicals in mosquito sprays, little creatures like fireflies and bumble bees that find a place to rest on a leaf will be eliminated.
The most concerning victims of this “treatment” are children, the very people we aim most to protect. In 2011, the EPA estimated that the average American consumed 0.009 micrograms of chlorpyrifos per kilogram of their body weight per day. This is purely through food residue. Children are projected to consume a higher quantity of chlorpyrifos. Toddlers hold the record of the highest consumption, boasting a whopping 0.025 micrograms per day. This all leads back to how mosquito spray particles find their way into the soil and into our water. One might say “well, a fraction of a microgram doesn’t sound like a whole lot at all.” In fact, someone who has done a little bit of research may feel compelled to argue that the EPA set an acceptable daily dose of chlorpyrifos to 0.3 micrograms a day. However, in a 2016 study, EPA scientists were unsuccessful in finding any level of exposure to pesticides that was safe, stating “this assessment indicates that dietary risks from food alone are of concern.” If it’s unsafe to consume a quantity of this chemical a small fraction of the size of a grain of salt, why are we comfortable spraying it around our neighborhoods?
If you’re still here, you may be thinking, “Okay, I get it. Spraying for mosquitos is bad. But how else can I keep them away?” Good news. There are plenty of natural methods of keeping mosquitos at bay, and they are all quite simple. The first step that homeowners should take is to get rid of stagnant water. Mosquitos need still water to lay their eggs in, so buckets and birdbaths should be poured out. Another method that some people swear by is planting certain flowers. Chrysanthemums, asters, marigolds, and pyrethrum daisies are thought by The Old Famer’s Almanac to repel bugs. Herbs such as coriander, basil, and anise are also mentioned. Some people even go as far as adding a bat house. One small brown bat can eat as many as 600 mosquitoes in as little as an hour! Go bats! One may also rub apple cider vinegar and garlic on their skin, as it is said this makes us humans less appetizing. Lemon eucalyptus and picaridin are recommended by the CDC to repel mosquitos. It really is that simple, folks!
Mosquito spraying is an insidious danger veiled in minimal benefits. But its harmful side effects far outweigh the perks that make it appear so attractive. In the best interest of not only the residents of a community but the wildlife, All of these are exponentially worse than an irritating little lump that only lasts a few days.