Human Health and Environmental Relative Risks of WNV Mosquito Control Products

CONCLUSIONS

This document summarizes the absolute risks of the mosquito products as developed by the EPA. In addition, the Maine Board of Pesticides Control has developed a relative risk method to allow risk comparisons from active ingredient to active ingredient and from product to product. However, these risk analyses constitute only one part of the evaluation necessary to provide state input into a WNV Mosquito treatment plan. The intent of this analysis is to provide information to enable the risk manager to evaluate sites with regard to sensitive areas, individuals and non-target species prior to making a choice of mosquito product. The other components of the plan which are being developed by other agencies will include available efficacy data, the availability of trained applicators, equipment and products in the state.

The appendices are lengthy, but they are included because they provide a wealth of information on the existing databases for the chemicals reviewed. Comparing the adulticides malathion and phenothrin; malathion has 28 citations for warm water fish, 12 for cold water fish, 21 for estuarine and marine species and 22 for freshwater invertebrates. Phenothrin has 2 warm water data points, 1 cold water citation, 5 estuarine and marine species and 6 freshwater invertebrates. The more extensive the data base the more confidence one can have in the risk evaluation.

This is a work in progress and it will be modified when more information becomes available in terms of more current labels, more recent studies, or more peer reviewed documents for EPA. The current information is intended to be used if necessary in the summer of 2001. A detailed review of current label information will be undertaken prior to any state input into a spray program.

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