On Friday from about 1 a.m. until 6 a.m., the Upper West Side and Central Park will be sprayed with pesticides to kill mosquitoes that may be carrying West Nile Virus, according to the city Department of Health.
“The borders of the Manhattan spray area will be West 97th Street to the north, West End Avenue to the west, West 58th Street to the south, and West Drive in Central Park to the east,” the Epoch Times reports. The Upper West Side has apparently never before been sprayed for West Nile.
Eight cases of West Nile have been reported in New York City with no deaths (although there have been two deaths recorded in the state).
Update: Washington Square Park blog argues against the spraying of pesticides here out of concern for health risks.
The following info comes from a health department document:
“For this spraying, the Health Department will use a very low concentration of Anvil®, 10 + 10 (a synthetic pesticide) at an application rate of approximately 1 2/3 teaspoons (8.5 grams) of the active ingredient per block. When properly used, this product poses no significant risks to human health. The Health Department recommends that people take the following precautions to minimize direct exposure:
- Whenever possible, stay indoors during spraying. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions are encouraged to stay inside during spraying since direct exposure could worsen these conditions.
- Air conditioners may remain on, however, if you wish to reduce the possibility of indoor exposure to pesticides, set the air conditioner vent to the closed position, or choose the re-circulate function.
- Remove children’s toys, outdoor equipment, and clothes from outdoor areas during spraying. If outdoor equipment and toys are exposed to pesticides, wash them with soap and water before using again.
- Wash skin and clothing exposed to pesticides with soap and water. Always wash your produce thoroughly with water before cooking or eating.”
I THINK, though I would love for someone who actually knows to say whether or not this is true, that this is the pesticide that can be fatal to cats in small doses. I would think most cats would be indoors in any event, but this is a time to be particularly careful if you have a cat – if this is actually true.
If indeed “When properly used, this product poses no significant risks to human health” then why hide/wash children’s toys and why stay indoors if a person has asthma? Has phenothrin been studied in synergy with other chemicals we are exposed to? No. Has it been studied on children? No. On bees? Yes… very toxic in tiny doses. On cats? Don’t know. Has it proven scary when studied alone on animals and human cell lines? Yes. See, e.g.,
Go, V. et al. 1999. Estrogenic potential of certain pyrethroid compounds in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line. Environ. Health Persp. 107:173-177. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566380/