| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Toxic Bug Killers: More Harm than Good?
Insects are one of the last things we ever want to see in our homes. Who wants to reach for a snack and see cockroaches scattering, or find ants crawling over a freshly-cut piece of fruit? While having bugs in your house is indeed unpleasant, the toxic chemicals often used to kill them can be far worse.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that between 2000 and 2008, the state of California had more than 7,600 reports of pesticide poisoning cases, 200 of which required hospitalization. Approximately half of these cases were from non-agricultural pesticide use, such as in the home, yard or garden.
Many of the chemicals used in common pesticides can cause negative health effects, ranging from mild to severe. The NRDC outlines some of the more serious effects as damage to the nervous, respiratory, immune, endocrine and reproductive systems, as well as cancers. In milder cases, many people experience short-term respiratory and digestive complications.
The New York times reports that between 2003 and 2011, about 111 people across seven states were made ill solely by pesticides designed to kill bedbugs. Mild symptoms included headaches, nausea and shortness of breath. The type of pesticides most often responsible for these cases contained pyrethroids and pyrethrins, both common ingredients in home pesticides.
The NRDC also states that children are at an increased danger from pesticides, as their bodies are still developing, and pesticide poisoning can lead to long-term developmental damage. As kids spend more time crawling and playing on the floor where pesticides are applied, their exposure is also often more direct.
Read more »
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2014/08/toxic-bug-killers-more-harm-than-good.html
