Malathion is a chemical used as a pesticide, and more ...



Malathion is a chemical used as a pesticide, and more specifically in this case, a mosquito control product. Concerns have been raised about the potential hazards in using malathion in this manner and if the risks of using this chemical outweigh the benefits of controlling the mosquito population and the subsequent spread of West Nile Virus.

The four steps of hazard assessment are outlines below for Malathion and should aid in the decision-making process for whether or not to use Malathion in our town.

Hazards of Malathion:

o Malathion is estimated to cause about 90 cases of related illnesses.

o Estimated to cause about 5 deaths per application.

o Malathion can cause cholinesterase inhibition which can cause cholinergic poisoning.

o Can cause chronic effects such as peripheral neuropathy, neurobehavioral effects, and the development of allergic sensitivity.

o Reports of carcinogenicity are non-conclusive.

o Reports on many health effects still needs further studies and evidences to make a conclusive statement.

o Can kill other animals especially the mosquito predators.

o Can damage the fragile ecosystem important to tourism.

o Residues can contaminate food resources.

Dosage-response:

o Reaction varies according to individual sensitivity, some are tolerant to high doses, and some are highly reactive to relatively low doses.

o Children and individuals with low body mass can be more reactive to low doses.

Exposure:

o Uneducated people face the risk of close exposure if they do not follow safety precautions.

o Uninformed people face the risk of close exposure if they are not aware of the aerial spraying.

o As the chemical will be spread on air, most resident will have the exposure by inhalation of the mist formed from the applied insecticide.

o Some people are at the risk of eating or handling food contaminated with Malathion.

o Unavoidable exposure to residues of Malathion is predicted as some residents are needed to go back to their work or normal activities and can have dermal contact with contaminated plants or by ingestion of water or food borne residues.

Risk Characterization:

o People particularly the poor and uneducated who will not follow safety precautions are at risk of developing adverse effect.

o Uninformed people who might not know of the aerial spraying are at very high risk of developing adverse effect, the worst is the possibility of death if at close exposure.

o Ill-informed people are at high risk of developing adverse effect or worsening of their condition.

o Uninformed or uneducated could handle or eat matter that contains pesticide residues which can cause related illness.

o Any resident is at a risk of developing any unknown long term effects and risks.

Malathion Application as Mosquito Control

The increasing health hazard caused by mosquitoes with the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) is a great burden faced by the city of Genericville of America. An increasing number of residents afflicted with the virus carried by mosquitoes are a high concern. With a reported fatality, action on eradicating the mosquitoes is initiated to reduce the illness caused by mosquitoes. Aerial spraying with a hazardous insecticide Malathion has been suggested.

The CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) Statistics, Surveillance, and Control report on 2006 West Nile Virus Activity in the United States reported 1,479 cases with 177 fatalities. Of the 4269 cases, 1459 (34%) were reported as severe disease, 2616 (61%) were reported as milder disease, and 194 (5%) were clinically unspecified. The projections based on experience, recent testing of infected birds, and an enlarged mosquito breeding area due to heavy rainfall suggested that in the city of Genericville about 50 people will be affected and 2 people will die from West Nile Virus this year.

Aerial spraying with Malathion is believed to relieve problems caused by mosquitoes. Spraying is speculated to reduce the mosquito population by 90% and will thus provide the same reduction in risk of WNV. It is then speculated that WNV cases would drop from 50 to five, with less than a 20% chance of a fatality in each of the five cases.

General consensus is that some individuals are tolerant to high doses of Malathion while some are highly reactive to relatively low doses. As mists can be formed after aerial spray, all residents are at risk of breathing the chemical. It is known that Malathion breaks down very quickly. Children and individuals with low body mass are also expected to be more reactive to low doses therefore are at high risk of getting the blow of the bad effects of the insecticide. Residents proximal to the areas with heavy Malathion concentration are also at the very high risk of exposure to relatively large amounts of the chemical either by skin contact with contaminated materials, by inhaling the mist formed or by ingestion of water or food borne residues. Intensive mass education with emphasis on following all the safety precaution prior to the insecticide application will reduce all the speculated risks. Uneducated residents may have some difficulty in considering those precautions.

The general population is not likely to be exposed to large amounts of Malathion. However, some exposure to residues of Malathion is possible. Many studies detected Malathion in foods and atmosphere samples. Residents at risk of exposure include the poor and uneducated people especially if they are not aware about the aerial spraying. Consumption or handling food contaminated with Malathion is another possible risk. Meanwhile, it is predicted that application of Malathion would also kill mosquito predators and damage the ecosystem. According to authorities however, long-term environmental risk from Malathion application is unlikely because of its rapid degradation into a harmless materials rapidly after application (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2005, Section 1). The risks imposed by Malathion application are believed to be avoidable with educational programs, precautions, and an awareness campaigns. The importance of education therefore needs to be highly emphasized to avoid exposure during Malathion applications and to prevent contact with residues for at least a week after applications. In conclusion, proponents suggested that risks from uncontrolled mosquito are unavoidable while risks from exposure to Malathion applications can be controlled.

Political Factor: The potential risks and hazards caused by mosquitoes especially with the widespread of diseases causing fatalities can cause a strong political impact most specifically if the governmental or local authorities are not stepping in to implement halt or eradicate mosquito infestation. The residents are usually expecting the authorities to act with any issue that affects the community. On the other hand, any action taken by the authority which exposes the residents to another risk or harm will not be tolerated as well and can end up to a political chaos. Therefore, the authorities have to be very careful in implementing any plan placing the general safety of the city on all aspects on top of the priority.

Social Factor: The health risks and hazard caused by the mosquitoes can greatly affect the people socially. Those afflicted with debilitating disease caused by mosquito definitely will develop problems in relating to others. Social gatherings and activities will have some limitations to avoid exposure to risks from mosquitoes. Social relations with friends and significant others from other communities will have some limitations in fear of mosquitoes. The social effects from the risk associated with the spraying of Malathion are of short-term and temporary while the risks from mosquito will prevail as long as eradication plans are not implemented. Therefore by any means, a plan to eradicate mosquitoes needs to be implemented and carried out to stop affecting the residents socially.

Economical Factor: The total expenses incurred on treatments caused by the illnesses brought by mosquitoes needs to be looked upon. The decline in tourism caused by fear of mosquito exposure could lead to further poverty among the residents. In the long run, poverty could in turn increase health risks to city residents. That is a very important factor that should be given great emphasis. On Malathion application issue, the cost of aerial spraying can be expensive. Costs of treatment of related illnesses should be included in the account too. These economic factors need to be well weighted prior to a decision of Malathion application.

In conclusion, I would say that the risks associated with Malathion application appear to be less than the risks imposed without the aerial spraying. The risks with the use of Malathion are far less than the risks that can be caused by mosquitoes most particularly the West Nile Virus. Finally, the risks from Malathion application can be avoided by proper education and due precautions while the risk from mosquito exposure is unavoidable.

Therefore, I have no hesitation to vote in agreement with the application of the Malathion to get rid of the mosquitoes in Genericville City.

References:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007).

2006 West Nile Virus activity in the United States. West Nile Virus Statistics, Surveillance, and Control. Retrieved March 28, 2008 from

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2005).

Toxicologic information about insecticides used for eradicating mosquitoes. Malathion (CAS Number 121-75-5). Retrieved March 28, 2008 from .

Sinclair, W. Malathion Medical Research. Malathion health library index.

Retrieved March 28, 2008 from



Asking people to stay indoors during the spraying events and educating them about the use of malathion seems to be a much easier course of action than asking people to stay indoors to avoid mosquitoes. The risks of the potential exposure to a deadly virus outweigh the any perceived risks due to malathion exposure. My vote is to implement the malathion spraying as a mosquito control measure.

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