By Dinesh Kumar
Repellents offer notable convenience when it comes to keeping away biting and stinging pests. They work by interfering with the natural mechanisms that pests use to locate their victims. For example, chemical agents within mosquito repellents mask the carbon dioxide and sweat odour produced by the body. In this manner, mosquito repellents make a person 'invisible' to this disease-carrying insect.
Other pest repellents use non-biodegradable synthetic chemicals capable of interfering with vital metabolic processes in the target pest. Chemicals such as diethyl-methyl benzamide( DEET) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) can interfere with the respiratory system of many insect species even at low concentrations. Best Pest Control Companies will use organic ways to get rid of the pests.
This capability is why many popular pest repellents contain DEET and DMP as the main active ingredients. Unfortunately, these highly effective organic compounds pose a notable health risk to human beings in higher concentrations. This article looks at the various dangers posed by pest repellents.
Pest repellent manufacturers try to make their products as desirable as possible. This is why popular's repellants use fruity sweet-smelling fragrances that appeal to a consumer's sense of smell. Furthermore, manufacturers often present their products as multifunctional purchases. Good examples would be cans of pest repellant that you can use as air-fresheners and skin lotions with insect-repelling properties.
Other pest repellents use non-biodegradable synthetic chemicals capable of interfering with vital metabolic processes in the target pest.
While it is only logical to use a sweet-smelling pest repellent, such repellents do pose a significant danger when it comes to small kids. Reason being, the sweet smell might trick a child into eating a liquid or balm repellant. In this scenario, severe poisoning can occur due to the child's lower body weight.
The non-biodegradable organic nature of the active ingredients found in pest repellents pose yet another significant hazard to users of these products. Users typically apply the repellent directly to the skin, either an aerosol spray or body lotion. When this happens, the active chemical agents within the product diffuse across the layers of skin and end up in the bloodstream.
In this manner, DEET, DMP and other toxic organic compounds begin accumulating within body tissue. In a wide range of scenarios, these chemicals are fat-soluble, so end up in fatty tissue. Over time, and with regular use of pest repellents, concentrations of these harmful chemicals can reach such high levels that cancer develops. However, it takes decades of fanatical pest repellent use for one to develop the fatal condition.
Proper use of pest repellents requires users to spray or rub the chemical concoction onto the skin. Pixabay
Proper use of pest repellents requires users to spray or rub the chemical concoction onto the skin. As a consequence, some of the active ingredients in the repellent start making their way into the skin. While within the skin, these reactive chemical compounds can irritate cell membranes and even dehydrate cells.
In the above scenario, red itchy blotches begin to form around the area of application. These blotches typically dissipate with discontinued use of the repellent. However, some people do experience adverse reactions to the chemicals whereby painful lesions develop on the skin. It is, therefore, advisable to immediately stop using a pest repellant once you notice increased sensitivity on areas of application.
Despite having notable practical benefits, the active ingredients in pest repellents do pose a considerable health risk to users. Still there are some pest removal service providers where they use natural pest repellants and other alternative ways to control pests.
Author Bio:
Dinesh Kumar VM.
I'm an SEO Analyst and blogger outreach expert at ClickDo Ltd. Also work in Google Ads, Facebook Ads & Remarketing. Enjoy writing business & tech related blogs, Contributor of London Business News blog.