Beware of bug spray accumulating in the home
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During warmer seasons bugs getting into the home can be a big problem. Using bug sprays to get rid of these bugs can lead to health problems due to accumulation of the pesticide in the home.
It’s very annoying to have mosquitoes, flies, fleas, bedbugs, and wasps swarming around your home. The bug sprays which are often used to get rid of these pests are unfortunately not free of potential health hazards and they accumulate in the home.
MedicalXPress reports pyrethroids are a common pesticide which is used to repel pests. Although lab studies show pyrethroids are relatively safe for mammals they can nevertheless cause headache, skin irritation, nausea and dizziness in sensitive people.
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Lia Nakagawa, who is the lead author of this study and a researcher at the Biological Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, and her colleagues have pointed out pyrethroid pesticides used indoors adhere to cloth, tiled floors and wood in different ways than they would to outdoor surfaces. When these pesticides are used outdoors they are broken down relatively fast by sunlight, microorganisms, and rain or sprinklers.
There is an increased likelihood that people will be exposed to pesticides sprayed in their homes due to persistence of the pesticides on surfaces and in the dust in homes. This is of particular concern when young kids and pets are around. Children and pets spend a lot of time on the floor and they often pick things up and put them in their mouths. It has therefore been concluded that it is important to pursue further studies to
evaluate the actual risks of human exposure to pyrethroids when found in dust and on various surfaces.
This study has been published the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Home indoor environments represent potential places of exposure to pyrethroids. Although these pesticides have low acute toxicity for people, they are allergenic and are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. The potential health risks involved should therefore be considered carefully before actually using pesticides indoors.
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