Just for fun.

• Author: Fitz, Don
• Position: West Nile Virus spraying

The statement below was circulate in the St. Louis area during the summer 2002 spraying. Its suggestions apply to any local health department that sprays synthetic pyrethroids and falsely implies they are "safe."

The sprays that were used most in 2002 began with permethrin, sumithrin, or resmethrin, which are all synthetic pyrethroids. These are chemical imitations of pyrethrins, which naturally occur in chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethrins protect flowers by paralyzing the nervous system of insects. But the pyrethroids are not used by themselves. Pesticide sprays combine them with other chemicals to make them more toxic.

If St. Louis City says they are spraying sumithrin, this falsely implies that they are spraying sumithrin and nothing else. The fact sheet for the City spray of Anvil 2+2 ULV (made by Clark) says the ingredients are:

2% sumithrin

2% piperonyl butoxide

96% inert ingredients

If St. Louis County says they are spraying permethrin, this falsely implies that they are spraying permethrin and nothing else. The fact sheet for the County spray of Aqua-Reslin (made by Aventis) says the ingredients are:

20% permethrin

20% piperonyl butoxide

60% other ingredients

The "piperonyl butoxide" or PBO which appears in both permethrin and sumithrin is what is known as a "synergist." Synergists are added to increase the killing power of the pyrethroids by inhibiting liver functions that break down many toxins. According to the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, "...a heavy exposure to an insecticidal synergist may make a person vulnerable to a variety of toxic insults that would normally be easily tolerated."

Just for fun, call up your local health department and ask them to identify in writing what the "other ingredients" or "inert ingredients" are in what they spray for WNV. They might have...