Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Indoor Gardens March 2014 Mid Atlantic, 0 by coleup

coleup wrote:
Sally, kudos for reading the No Pest strip warning labels which are dire because organophosphates are dangerous for human use and contact with them should be careful and according to directions for maximum safety. I believe that 'what you have heard' about warning labels being there to protect the insurance companies is way off base and belies the import of many chemicals introduced into our life streams, many of which are only regulated by the industries who produce them and also write the regulations for same! Would you put a flea collar on Addy that was full of this pesticide which has 'voluntarily' been taken off the market?
Why would you disregard "not for use in living spaces" ? Your shed is not a living space agreed, but for me, even a back room in an extended basement with the door closed is. I would urge you to do your pest strip treatment of plants in the shed (or in a bag as Ric suggested) before bringing them to your living space and letting them air out outside and not inside, and washing hands, gloves , clothing, etc as you go along. If you decide to use them, don't cut corners on following the directions! The science behind them is extensive and pretty real.

Here is a link to a recent article on a CDC report about No Pest Strip injuries:

http://www.wired.com/2014/01/cdc-warning-misuse-pest-strips/

'Nerves communicate across gaps, or synapses, chemically. Organophosphates block transmitters, and overstimulate nerve fibers and muscles. Image: National Institute of Aging

DDVP kills insects so well because it is one of the last organophosphate pesticides still available for indoor use in the US. Organophosphates can be dangerous, and misuse can result in ending up on your back twitching like a dying roach.

Organophosphates kill bugs by preventing nerve cells from turning stimulating signals off. They block the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is present in all animal nervous systems. Overstimulating nerve cells this way leads to tremors, paralysis, and death. Fortunately, the amount of DVPP it takes to kill an insect is small compared to what it takes to cause symptoms in humans.

The critical safety element is how you use this pesticide. The CDC Report suggests that’s where the problem lies. Thirty-one cases were reported to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sentinel system of acute dichlorvos pest strip–related illness between 2000 and 2013. That might not seem like a lot, but in the words of the study lead author, Dr. Rebecca Tsai, “it’s definitely an underestimate of what is happening.” The sentinel system has just 12 participating U.S. states. Of that small subsample of states, only those cases reported to State Public Health Departments are known about by the CDC.

Twenty (65%) of the 31 cases involved using DDVP incorrectly and in violation of the instructions and safety labels. As someone who’s been trained to only use DDVP with eye protection, gloves, and a respirator if in an enclosed space, this is chilling to read:

“The majority of these illnesses resulted from use of the product in commonly occupied living areas (e.g., kitchens and bedrooms), in violation of label directions…. Contributing factors other than using strips in occupied areas included excessive application, placing strips in sealed bags to treat infested items, lack of skin protection (e.g., gloves or prompt skin washing), placing strips in closets and pantries, cutting and tearing strips into smaller pieces, and using a heater and fan to accelerate vapor dissemination from strips.”

'If it were up to me, I’d at least have something along the lines of “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T TOUCH THIS STUFF WITHOUT GLOVES” on the packaging. There should be a way to more clearly indicate that this compound has a track record of neurological damage and is a Group B2 probable human carcinogen.'