Evaluating the Risk of Malathion

Evaluating the Risk of Malathion

The city of Genericville is the home to many species and has become a tourist attraction because of the beauty in the natural circle of life that can be experienced here. Unfortunately, the growing problem with mosquitoes and the spread of the West Nile Virus threatens the livelihood of Genericville’s citizens, and the survival of the wildlife here. A proposal to eradicate the problem is the application of an insecticide called malathion. Malathion could reduce the mosquito population and the exposure to the West Nile Virus by 90% (Axia College, 2007). Although the proposal to use malathion seems like a logical solution, one must first asses the health risk associated with product to Genericville's citizens, wildlife, and environment.

Introduced in the United States as a pest control product in 1956, malathion is an insecticide used in the extirpation of mainly boll weevil, med fly, and mosquitoes associated with the West Nile Virus (Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, 2005). Malathion can be used as an aerial spray or in ground applicator. When used as a spray, malthion is usually degraded into the atmosphere in 5 hours. Depending on the pH levels, degradation in soil varies and may be a little as 1-6 days or a long as 10 days (ATSDR, 2005). The fact that malathion degrades so rapidly makes its application a low health risk to citizens and wildlife.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2007, “malathion can be used for public health mosquito control programs without posing unreasonable risk to the general population when applied according to the label”. When studied in both children and adults, even with exposure to high doses, malathion has been reported to cause dizziness, nausea, and confusion (EPA, 2007). Of course, with any insecticide, exposure to extremely high doses can

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cause death. In addition, malthion has not been reported to pose any “unreasonable risk to wildlife or the environment” (EPA, 2007, Ð'¶7).

When combined with water sources malathion under certain condition may form a more toxic compound known as malaoxon, but because the application rates are so small the exposure of people to this compound is minimal (EPA, 2007). The Animal Plant and Health