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Tags: active ingredients, chrysanthemum flower, cides, dizziness, head lice, health risk, insecticide, living organisms, lotions, nausea, nervous system, overexposure, pesticide treatments, pesticides, pollution prevention, pyrethrins, pyrethrum extract, scabicides, shampoo, shampoos,Pages: 2
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Created: Fri Sep 12 21:17:54 2003
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better environment www.informinc.org
Purchasing for Pollution Prevention
Lindane Alternatives: Health and Environmental Effects
All pesticides are designed to kill living organisms and involve some health risk to humans exposed to them. While
the health and environmental effects of non-lindane pesticides may be less significant than those posed by lindane,
these risks should nonetheless be kept in mind when deciding whether to use chemical treatments for lice (pediculi-
cides) or scabies (scabicides). Before using any pesticide treatments for lice and scabies, it is important to understand
the risks associated with the different pesticide active ingredients.
What are the alternatives to lindane for head pyrethrins; people have died from heart or respiratory
lice and scabies? failure after applying animal insecticide shampoo
ˇ Pyrethrins/Piperonyl butoxide. Several over-the- containing pyrethrins.2
counter head lice shampoos and lotions have active Overexposure or misuse:
ingredients containing, or derived from, the
pyrethrum extract of dried chrysanthemum flower.* ˇ Overexposure can cause nervous system effects
Lice products contain pyrethrum extract in a 0.33% such as dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle twitching,
solution combined with piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a convulsions, and loss of consciousness.3
synergist that increases the effect of the pesticide. PIPERONYL BUTOXIDE (PBO)
ˇ Permethrin. This "synthetic pyrethroid" mimics the At the recommended dosage:
structure of pyrethrum. Products with 1% and 5% per- ˇ PBO inhibits the enzymes that help to break down
methrin are used to treat lice and scabies, respectively. toxins in the body, increasing the efficacy of pesti-
ˇ Malathion. This broad-spectrum organophosphate cides by slowing their elimination from the body;
pesticide is the active ingredient in some lice and sca- this can make patients more vulnerable to their
bies lotions. It is not commonly used, because it must toxic effects.4
be left on the head for approximately eight hours; Overexposure or misuse:
other lice treatments work in about 10 minutes. ˇ Piperonyl butoxide can cause irritation of the skin
and eyes.5
What are the human health risks of lindane
MALATHION
alternatives?
At the recommended dosage:
PERMETHRIN AND PYRETHRINS
ˇ Side effects include scalp tingling, dandruff, and
At the recommended dosage:
redness of the scalp and eyes.
ˇ Side effects can include dry patches, swelling, itch-
ˇ Ovide, the malathion treatment for head lice, contains
ing, rash, or redness.1
highly flammable ingredients and may pose a fire
ˇ People with hay fever, asthma, and sensitivities to risk. Patients should be cautioned to avoid heating
certain allergens have an increased risk from the hair by using hair dryers or other appliances
during treatment. Appropriate storage of flammable
* The whole extract of chrysanthemum is known as pyrethrum, while its materials is required when storing large amounts of
component compounds are known as pyrethrins. In this fact sheet, this product.6
pyrethrins refers to the whole class of natural extracts.
Purchasing for Pollution Prevention Program Fact Sheet ŠINFORM, Inc. September 2003
Overexposure: Notes
ˇ Overexposure can cause headache, dizziness, 1 Jones, Kimberly N., and Joseph C. English III, "Review of
nausea, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, and
Common Therapeutic Options in the United States for the
loss of consciousness. No acute poisonings have Treatment of Pediculosis Capitis," Clinical Infectious
been reported for malathion used as a pediculi- Diseases, 2003, Volume 36, 1355-1359.
cide, only for agricultural use.7
2 Wax, P.M., and R.S. Hoffman, "Fatality Associated with the
Inhalation of a Pyrethrin Shampoo," Clinical Toxicology,
What are the environmental risks of lindane Volume 32, 457-460, 1994; Wagner, S.L., "Fatal Asthma in a
alternatives? Child After Use of an Animal Shampoo Containing Pyrethrin,"
West Journal of Medicine, Volume 173, 86-87, 2000.
PERMETHRIN AND PYRETHRINS
ˇ Both of these pesticides are very toxic to bees, fish, 3 US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
and other aquatic organisms. "ToxFAQs for Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids," http://www.atsdr.
cdc.gov/tfacts155.html.
ˇ Pyrethrins can break down after only a few hours
when exposed to air and sunlight, but their residues 4 US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Draft
have been found to last from two weeks to two Toxicological Profile for Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids, 2001,
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp155.html.
months indoors.
5 National Pesticide Information Center, "Piperonyl Butoxide,"
ˇ Permethrin is more persistent than natural
pyrethrins.8 fact sheet, http://ace.orst.edu/info/npic/factsheets/pbotech.pdf.
6 Jones, Kimberly N., and Joseph C. English III, "Review of
PIPERONYL BUTOXIDE (PBO) Common Therapeutic Options in the United States for the
Treatment of Pediculosis Capitis," Clinical Infectious
ˇ PBO is moderately toxic to fish and highly toxic to
Diseases, 2003, Volume 36, 1355-1359.
some other aquatic organisms.
7 US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
ˇ Through its suppression of detoxification processes,
"ToxFAQs for Malathion," 2001, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
PBO can increase the toxicity of numerous pesti- tfacts154.html; Jones, Kimberly N., and Joseph C. English III,
cides. "Review of Common Therapeutic Options in the United States
for the Treatment of Pediculosis Capitis," Clinical Infectious
ˇ PBO has a half-life ranging from a few hours in air Diseases, 2003, Volume 36, 1355-1359.
to 3 days in soil. In aqueous environments, its half-
life is less than two days. 9 8 US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Draft
Toxicological Profile for Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids, 2001,
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp155.html.
MALATHION
ˇ Malathion is highly toxic to bees, and certain fish 9 National Pesticide Information Center, "Piperonyl Butoxide,"
species. fact sheet," http://ace.orst.edu/info/npic/factsheets/pbotech.pdf.
ˇ This pesticide breaks down fairly readily in soils, 10 Extension Toxicology Network, Pesticide Information Profiles,
with a half-life of 1 to 25 days. Malathion, revised June 1996,
http://ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/malathio.htm.
ˇ It can persist up to six weeks in water, depending on
conditions.10
Purchasing for Pollution Prevention Program Fact Sheet ŠINFORM, Inc. September 2003
INFORM is a national nonprofit organization that identifies practical ways of living and doing business that are
environmentally sustainable.
120 Wall Street, New York NY 10005-4001 Tel 212 361-2400 Fax 212-361-2412 www.informinc.org