Are environmental pesticides harmful? Why do they kill insects?

As a result of its hot and humid summer, Taiwan Province is ideal for mosquito breeding. fly killer In Taiwan, common vector mosquitoes such as Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Aedes aegypti transmit diseases like Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever. It is common for ordinary people to use electric and mosquito coils to prevent the infestation of mosquitoes and cockroaches. Insecticide may have been sprayed along the drainage holes of the block by the city office.

Insecticides, electric mosquito repellent incense, these indispensable chemical weapons in daily life, have become known as "environmental medicine". cockroach insecticide spray However, how much do we know about these ubiquitous chemicals? How do they affect human health? How will they affect the environment?

Pesticides are nerve gas for insects

A strong fast-acting insecticide, a medium fast-acting insecticide, mosquito killer and a slow-acting insecticide can be divided into three levels based on their ability to stun.

Pyrethroids are a large class of chemicals used in highly effective and environmentally friendly medicines. They are structurally similar to pyrethroids extracted from specific chrysanthemums, ending in -thrin, or Oo Ning in Chinese. Mefluthrin, Prallethrin, Cyphenothrin, and others are some of the compounds used in medicine.

The three compounds are Mettenin, Projalin, and Cyprin. Figure / u002FEdgar181@Wikipedia, CC0, Figure / u002FFvasconcellos @Wikipedia, CC0, Figure / u002FEdgar181@Wikipedia, CC0.

The figure shows that the middle structure of the three compounds is similar, but the sides are different; the difference between these two "substituents" is what makes the drug act slightly differently.

The pyrethrin, in contrast to camphor, peppermint, and other drugs with merely "insect repellent" effects, can kill mosquitoes effectively because it contains a nerve axonal excitatory toxin, which opens the sodium ion channel of the insect membrane and increases the conduction function, causing the nervous system to become overexcited, resulting in paralysis and death.

Is it bad for you to use pesticides?

Should substances that kill mosquitoes also harm humans? At this point, there must be some concern. Clearly, manufacturers have taken this into account, and one of the key points of environmental drug development is targeting only the target organism. Among insecticides, pyrethroids are extremely toxic to arthropods, but less toxic to vertebrates.

If exposed to high concentrations of pyrethroids or pyrethroids for a short period of time, the skin may itch, burn, or sting. When high concentrations of pyrethroids or pyrethroids are inhaled or ingested over a short period of time, they can cause dizziness, headaches, and even death. Therefore, everyone should pay attention to dosage and keep ventilation in mind when using drugs in the environment.