The Hazards of DEET
Many people's response to fears about
West Nile Virus (WNV) and the normal
DEET is a registered pesticide. DEET
is short for N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (also known as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide).
It is a member of the toluene chemical family. Toluene is an organic solvent
used in rubber and plastic cements and paint removers. DEET is absorbed
through the skin and passes into the blood. The Medical Sciences Bulletin,
published by Pharmaceutical Information Associates Ltd. reports, "Up to
56% of DEET applied topically penetrates intact human skin and 17% is absorbed
into the bloodstream." Blood concentrations of about 3 mg per litre have
been reported several hours after DEET repellent was applied to skin in
The most serious concerns about DEET
are its effects on the central nervous
An emergency medicine bulletin notes
that DEET may have significantly greater toxicity when combined with ethyl
and isopropyl alcohols and freon which are components of some DEET repellents.
In 1998, the US EPA made it illegal for any product containing DEET to
make any child safety claims. Products with DEET are required to
carry instructions that they should not be used at all for children under
For adults, Health Canada has now banned
products with DEET concentrations
Products containing DEET are now required to carry labels which specify:
-Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.Experts recommend that if using DEET, its best to wear long sleeves and long pants, when possible, and apply repellent to clothing rather than skin to reduce exposure. They state DEET based products should only be applied sparingly; saturation does not increase efficiency. DEET repellents should not be inhaled. Repellent-treated clothes should be washed, or kept outside living areas to reduce exposure. Following all these precautions reduces risk, but does not eliminate it.
There are a number of effective, less toxic insect repellents available. They need to be applied more frequently than DEET based repellents, but they do not carry the same health risks. Two botanical repellents which performed particularly well in a Florida study were Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Lotion Insect Repellent ( also marketed as FiteBite Plant Based Insect Repellent) which protected for 120 minutes, and Bite Blocker for Kids, a 2% soybean oil formula, which was effective for 95 minutes. Citronella products in the study provided about 30-40 minutes of protection.
Pharmacist Peter Ford in Moncton compounds
two pesticide-free insect repellents: GUB lotion, which is vanilla based
and well tolerated by chemically sensitive people, and The Citronella Spray.
Great Ocean Natural Foods in Halifax stocks a selection of repellents based
on essential oils including citronella, teatree and eucalyptus. Citronella,
teatree and eucalyptus are volatile oils and may trigger reactions in some
people, particularly the chemically sensitive. Bug shirts or hats are an
Back yard mosquito control tips: Mosquito
coil smoke contains about 70 different volatile organic compounds including
allethrin, phenol, benzene, toluene and xylene, all quite toxic especially
when burned and inhaled. Using yellow outdoor light bulbs which do not
attract insects can help reduce mosquito populations at night. Another
option is to use a fan when there is little wind since mosquitoes are not
strong flyers. Planting mosquito repelling plants like lemon balm, catnip,
basil and lemon geraniums around outdoor sitting areas and encouraging
mosquito predators like bats and dragonflies can help reduce mosquito populations.