Risk_Assessment_of_Malathion

Genericville Star ----------------------- Risk Assessment of Malathion Today the city needs to look at all the factors that effect this decision to use aerial spraying Malathion or to do nothing about the mosquito population. Health wise we need to protect ourselves again West Nile Virus (WNV). Studies from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), there were 4,269 WNV cases in the U.S. in 2006, including 177 fatalities. Our area is thought to have 50 cases this year alone with 2 fatalities; can we as a city afford to take that chance' If one of those 2 was your loved one could you live with yourself knowing that by using an aerial spray, educating people to stay inside while it’s being used might save lives' Now let us look at the tourist trade that out town is so dependable upon. We here in Genericville need those summer tourist to continue to vast our water lands, stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, and buy food, gasoline in our town to sustain our way of life. If we do not control the WNV who will come and spend those consumer dollars' Yes citizens there is risk with the Malathion, just as there is risk with us walking across the street each day. But the benefits of aerial spray outweigh the risk of infecting our city with a disease that eats away at your central nervous system. With proper notice, education the general public will be safe. We can hold town meetings, inform the public of proposed timeframe to stay inside, spray at night when most people will not be so inclined to being outside, educate each other to wash off children toys outside and wash our hand to avoid contamination. Better to than being bitten by the invested bug and being a statist of the Center for Disease Control this year. [pic] Hazard Identification- the hazards of the Malathion as described by the Agency for Toxic Substances. This list is the extreme versions of what can possible happen in the worst case seniero- in our small town we will use only enough of the spray to kill the virus carries organisms. Common early signs or mild symptoms of acute cholinergic poisoning include miosis (pinpoint pupils), headache, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, muscle weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, agitation, and anxiety. The probabilities of these last two hazards in our area with the doses we are using are not applicable to these symptoms: Moderate or severe poisoning can result in chest tightness, difficulty breathing, bradycardia, tachycardia, hypertension, pallor, abdominal pain, incontinence, diarrhea, anorexia, tremor/ataxia, fasciculation, lacrimation, heavy salivation, profuse sweating, blurred vision, poor concentration, confusion, and memory loss. Life-threatening or very severe signs and symptoms, such as coma, seizures, respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema, loss of reflexes, and flaccid paralysis, can occur at high doses, such as in the cases of attempted suicide. [pic] Dose-response assessment [pic] Malathion is not toxic unless absorbed into the blood system through the body tissues itself. Each person will respond differently. Commonly affected are lymph nodes and cell white blood cells. [pic] Exposure Assessment by the Agency for Toxic Substances. Most people are not exposed to Malathion in the air they breathe or on things they touch, unless they live next to areas being sprayed. Farm workers, chemical sprayers, and people who work in factories that make Malathion are most likely to be exposed. People who use it around their homes and people living in areas where Malathion is sprayed to control medflies or mosquitos may also be exposed. People who live near landfills where it has been dumped may be exposed. may Individuals also be exposed by going into fields too soon after spraying. Risk Characterization- as provided by the by the Agency for Toxic Substances. Malathion enters the environment primarily through spraying on farm crops. Malathion does not stick to soil and is broken down rapidly by bacteria in the soil, so it does not usually move from the soil to groundwater. In water, Malathion is broken down by the action of the water and bacteria in the water. In air, Malathion is broken down by sunlight. Malathion is not expected to accumulate in the food chain due to rapid break down in aquatic organisms [pic]