A piece from today's Washington Post highlights the phenomena of countervailing risks and unintended consequences so common to chemicals management. DDT is long-acting and effective against a broad spectrum of insects. It has relatively low human toxicity, but high environmental persistence, manifested most vividly in the fragile eggshells of species such as bald eagles and brown pelicans that led to its ban in the U.S. The ban was subsequently extended worldwide, which some contend contributed to the death of millions from malaria and other insect-borne diseases. This argument is advanced by Robert S. Desowitz in The Malaria Capers.Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Bed Bugs and Pesticide Regulation
A piece from today's Washington Post highlights the phenomena of countervailing risks and unintended consequences so common to chemicals management. DDT is long-acting and effective against a broad spectrum of insects. It has relatively low human toxicity, but high environmental persistence, manifested most vividly in the fragile eggshells of species such as bald eagles and brown pelicans that led to its ban in the U.S. The ban was subsequently extended worldwide, which some contend contributed to the death of millions from malaria and other insect-borne diseases. This argument is advanced by Robert S. Desowitz in The Malaria Capers.
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Generally, bed bugs are more of a nuisance pest than a serious health threat. There is no evidence to indicate that they transmit any infectious disease. pestradar.com
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