Risk Assessment of Malathion
Our city of Genericville is faced with a decision that is being addressed by countless communities each year. How do we balance the problem of mosquitoes and mosquito-born illnesses like West Nile Virus with the potential health and environmental problems caused by the application of a pesticide like malathion? This is not a decision to be made lightly and a risk assessment is in order to discuss the potential impacts from the application of the malathion and the impacts of doing nothing.
Our community is community has an economically diverse population of 100,000 people who are dependent upon summer tourism. We have a river that runs through the center of town and wetlands that protect the city from spring flooding. These wetlands and the river provide a habitat for many species of birds and fish and are just one element of what makes our city so popular with summer travelers. These same wetlands and rivers however, are also the breeding ground for the mosquitoes that spread diseases such as West Nile Virus.
In the United States in 2006, there were 4,269 cases of West Nile Virus with 177 fatalities (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). This disease attacks the central nervous system and is considered very dangerous to those infected. This disease does not discriminate between social or economic classes and all can be affected.
One solution to the West Nile Virus problem is the application of the pesticide malathion. The application of this pesticide would significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area and thus, decrease the chances of contracting West Nile Virus. Proponents of this plan cite a 2005 report by the Agency for Toxi Substances and Disease Registry that states that long-term risks from malathion is unlikely because of the rate with which it degrades into harmless materials after the application. Exposure to the pesticide could be controlled given proper education and precautions. An extensive precaution and awareness campaign would prevent unintended exposures during the applications and could reduce exposure to the residue following the application.
Opponents to the use of malathion used the same report information to state that there could be as many as 90 cases of malathion-related illnesses if the pesticide is used in Genericville. They charge that the funds that would be used for the pesticide application would be better spent on education programs about mosquitoes and mosquito- born illnesses instead. Their main concern is that uninformed residents are most at risk to exposure either during the application or to residue following the application.
The habitats and ecosystems essential to tourism in Genericville are also at risk according to opponents to the plan. They argue that the use of the pesticide would kill off natural predators and eventually increase the spread of West Nile Virus. The long-term effects of the pesticide are not known and this risk may be too great to support the use of the pesticide.
I believe that ultimately it is in the best interest of Genericville to continue with the plan to apply malathion to control the mosquito population and the spread of diseases such as West Nile Virus. The avoidance of periodic pesticide applications is much easier to contend with than the avoidance of mosquitoes. The summer tourism that our city depends on would falter if guests were instructed to stay inside to avoid the pests rather than go into the environment that they traveled to see. With proper educational and promotional tools, we can decrease the exposure risks to our residents and tourists and provide the a safer city in which to live and work.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2005). Toxicologic information about insecticides used for eradicating mosquitoes. Malathion (CAS Number 121-75-5). Retrieved September 30, 2008, from Malathion.html.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). 2006 West Nile Virus activity
in the United States. West Nile Virus Statistics, Surveillance, and Control. Retrieved September 30, 2008, from