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Malathion The Risks

Assignment: Risk Assessment of Malathion

My vote in regards to the use of Malathion in Genericville is YES. Genericville is a city with a population of 100,000 people that is dependent on summer tourism. A river runs through the entire city that houses several wetlands on it’s banks. Although the wetlands provide a source of nutrients for birds and fish, it is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that have the potential to spread diseases such as the West Nile Virus. Below is my outline explaining the reasoning of my vote using the four steps of risk assessment.

Hazard Identification

What is Malathion:

Malathion is a pesticide solution. It is used to control insects on crops and other breeding grounds such as wastelands in agriculture. It is most commonly used to control mosquitoes. Malathion has been approved for use in Canada since 1953. Data from indicates that long-term risks from using Malathion are unlikely because it degrades to harmless materials rapidly after application, officials say it has a half-life of less than one day in soil, which means that it takes less than a day for half of a dose to disappear. In the air, it’s half- life is 1.5 days, on plants about 5.5 days, and in water half a day to 19 days. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, argue that exposure can be completely controlled by Educational Programs and precautions, which we as Council members can make mandatory through an awareness campaign to avoid exposure during the Applications and we can mandate contact with the residues for at least a week after application.

Opponents say that the chemicals can weaken the immune system and cause cancer, birth defects, intestinal disorders, kidney problems, and other health problems, however as mentioned earlier all this could be combated by education and awareness campaigns.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency recently completed a re-evaluation of public health uses of Malathion and determined...