Risk Assessment of Malathion
Rachel Conley
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Malathion is an insecticide primarily used on swamps, crops and wetlands. This insecticide is used to control overpopulation of insects or production of disease spread by insects. Malathion is mostly exposed to soil, water and sunlight which all three resources help break down the substance. These three resources also help the Malathion to stay very water soluble which keeps fish at low risk incase the chemical leaked into the river. Since the West Nile Virus is spreading from mosquitoes who are mostly attracted to the wetlands, it is logical to keep people out of the vicinity of the wetlands. This strategy will prevent any health risks to our citizens and will become a precaution within our safety education programs. This insecticide is known to have no long term affects unless ingested or inhaled. The spread of the West Nile Virus needs to be reduced greatly and using Malathion can reduce that by 90% according to our studies. We need to take action in order to protect our citizens from attaining this terrible virus.
Malathion is distributed at 2.5 fluid ounces max rate per acre which has been proven to have minimal exposure to people in the treated areas. Low doses of Malathion may cause nausea or dizziness, but also may cause no symptoms at all. This insecticide is known to have very low toxicity when using does such as 0.1 milligrams of Malathion per liter of water. This dosage also will be less harmful to the environment because the substance degrades rapidly causing no long term affects. Malathion is highly toxic to insects which can cause problems for beneficial honeybees to affected by the insecticide. Since no pesticide is 100 percent safe it is important for the public to follow precautions closely to reduce any risks that may arise. Health concerns for humans are low due to the level of active ingredients in the ground and spray application considering all...