What are the pros and the cons of the mosquito-repellent chemical called picaridin? It is a substance that has been approved for use in the United States since 2005. And it is considered by some experts to be as effective against mosquitoes as DEET, a chemical known for its effectiveness but criticized because of safety concerns.
Pesticide or Chemical?
Picaridin is not actually a pesticide per see; it’s a repellent. The term pesticide means “any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.” A distinction should be made between an insecticide and a repellent such as picaridin: an insecticide kills insects while a repellent simply repels them. However, there are certain types of pesticides (such as mosquito-control adulticides) that are also repellents.
Effectiveness of Picaridin for Mosquitoes
Picaridin has been described as being just as good at warding off mosquitoes as DEET, a chemical known for its effectiveness but criticized because of safety concerns. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that when used in proper amounts picaridin can be just as effective against mosquitoes (and ticks), with less incidents of side-effects such as skin irritation on people who apply it to their skin. However, CDC noted that studies needed to be done before drawing any conclusions about the long-term effects of exposure to this chemical on humans.
Shortcomings Posed by Picaridin
According to the CDC, picaridin can be toxic to cats and dogs if applied directly on them. As with DEET, picaridin can cause certain types of contact dermatitis in some people who use it on their skin. Another shortcoming of this chemical is that it doesn’t work against ticks.
However, despite these shortcomings, many believe that picaridin has a future as an insect repellent because unlike DEET it isn’t known to dissolve plastic or other synthetic materials. Some go so far as to claim that picaridin won’t hurt birds if they eat mosquitoes that have been killed by spraying the chemicals on standing water where mosquitoes breed. However, there are no studies out there to prove this.
Controversy Surrounding Picaridin Use in the US
The use of picaridin as an insect repellent isn’t approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but is approved by other regulatory agencies. This situation has led some people to question if its effectiveness against mosquitoes makes it a good alternative to DEET, which both CDC and EPA endorse. On its website, CDC says that “available scientific evidence suggests that using repellents containing picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus will protect you from being bitten by mosquitoes.” In 2007, EPA said it had no objections when KBR Inc., a Halliburton company, proposed adding picaridin to its list of ingredients for “consumer products” that repel mosquitoes.
Effects on Skin and Nerves
Picaridin is currently used in several brands of insect repellent such as Cutter Advanced, Off! Deep Woods VIII, and Autan (outside the US). It can also be found combined with other substances such as DEET or citronella in some products. In 2008, a study was published by the journal Toxicology Letters which stated that picaridin was “a potent neuronal acetylcholinesterase inhibitor,” an action which has been linked to overstimulating muscles and nerves. In another study done by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, picaridin was determined to be “a potent inhibitor of voltage-gated sodium channels in rat neurons.” The same study concluded that some repellents containing this chemical can cause problems such as fainting if they are applied before bed because the human body’s ability to regulate its own blood pressure is reduced at night while a person is lying down.
Other Possible Problems Posed by Picaridin
A different 2008 study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University and the National Center for Toxicological Research showed that exposure to picaridin during pregnancy might not have harmful effects on unborn children. It was noted, however, that further research should be done to prove this point conclusively. Another study published in 2012 showed that when rats were fed picaridin, the exposure to this insect repellent caused brain damage. There is also a chance that it might cause neurological problems in humans in future studies.
Conclusion
Picaridin, although widely used outside the US, can pose some health risks for humans and animals if its protective capabilities against mosquitoes are not factored into consideration. A person who plans on coating himself with this chemical as mosquito protection should know how much of it he’s applying so there wouldn’t be any risk to his skin or respiratory system. As for those people who want to buy products containing picaridin for use around their homes, they need to keep in mind that pets are more likely than humans to come in contact with these objects.
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