7 July 2007
How do you respond to someone who comes to your door at dusk, with a bright smile, a sweet demeanor, and asks you in a singsong voice “May I spray Doom?”? Translation: “May I fill your room with noxious gases designed to kill mosquitoes, that will make you cough and gag, and most likely slowly poison you throughout the night as you sleep?”. I am quite sure that this product can’t be good for me and so I decline ever time. At which point, the very nice person looks at me as if I am absolutely off my rocker.Here’s a project for the new toxicology resident: Find out what’s in this stuff and what harmful effects may occur to those who breathe it in after it is sprayed in a closed space with no ventilation.
4 comments:
If by DOOM you mean the Doktor Doom Fogger, then the active ingredient is Resmethrin. Resmethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid compound. Pyrethroids/pyrethrins are insecticide compounds derived from chrysanthemum plants. They are neurotoxic to insects...have you ever seen a mosquito with seizures? Its a tiny tragedy. Anywho, pyrethrins are very effective insecticides, and are considered to be relatively safe to use. They are not harmless, as a class of chemicals, but rarely cause problems. Two issues with pyrethrins: 1) if you have a ragweed allergy, then you might be allergic to pyrethrins, and 2) in massive overdoses, these compounds can cause irritability, confusion, seizures/coma/death. Esterases floating freely, in large quantities, in your blood will metabolize pyrethrins quickly, however, so they rarely accumulate in toxic levels in the human body. There is some mention of carcinogenicity with resmethrin, but I could not find confirmation of that on TOXNET. I guess there just is not enough info on this particular pyrethrin derivative. But hell, what doesn't cause cancer?
while dr. joe is at it, have him investigate mosquito coils...i spent many a night sleeping with those burning....
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1463.html
Boy we do take alot for granted here in America. What other kinds of foods have you eaten while there? Please be careful and keep the remarks coming.
nice photos. I bet you are really making an impression on some of the people you come in contact withy just knowing you. Please be careful, learn a lot and come home soon.
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