The EPA does not even know if two-thirds of the top fifty household pesticide
ingredients may cause cancer or not.
More Disquieting Information
Dichlorvos (DDVP), which has been used in at least 12 million homes in this
country, is now classified as a probable human carcinogen. It is emitted as a toxic
vapor for three months or more from no-pest strips and flea collars. Pentachlorophe-
nol causes blind spots in vision, corneal damage, and numbness, as well as problems
with the autonomic nervous system. Chlordecone (Kepone) causes tremors and ner-
vousness. Paraquat causes tremors and mental disturbances. Dieldrin and aldrin are
organochlorines that cause convulsions, loss of coordination, and blurred and double
vision. Lindane (in Kwell), another organochlorine like DDT, aldrin, endrin, and
heptachlor, is used to treat head lice in more than 3 million children each year in the
United States. It is known to cause cancer and stillbirths in animals, and it also causes
symptoms ranging from headaches to convulsion. The other organochlorines have
been banned because they accumulate in the body and cause tumors. Less-toxic alter-
natives to Kwell include Tripe-X, A-200 Pyrinate, and Rid, all of which contain
pyrethrins, which are natural pesticides found in chrysanthemums. DEET is the most
popular ingredient in insect repellents, and has been used by about 38 percent of
Americans. When it is applied to clothing or skin, it is absorbed into the body.
Documented symptoms of toxicity include slurred speech, staggering gait, agitation,
tremors, convulsions, and death. Methyl bromide used in fumigation can cause
drowsiness and double vision.
In all, well over a million Americans are estimated to be at risk of pesticide toxicity
with damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, lungs, liver, kidney, and endocrine glands.^28
The Chlordane Problem
Chlordane was a pesticide used to prevent or eliminate termites during the 1950s,
’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. However, after many reports of serious illness among both adults
and children following its application, and evidence linking it to cancer in animals,
chlordane was finally banned by the EPA in March of 1988. Unfortunately, the ban did
not occur until more than 30 million homes throughout the United States had been
treated. Concerns in Florida were even greater because of the increased termite problem
and the fact that research shows chlordane is higher in homes built on sandy soils.
Most homeowners are unaware that just before the concrete slab was poured for
their home’s foundation, a pesticide company saturated the soil with 100 gallons of
chlordane per 1,000 square feet of area. People were literally building their homes on
top of a toxic chemical dump. The public was reassured by the pesticide industry and
entomologists that this was a safe procedure. It was thought that the chemical would
not enter into the home because of the barrier provided by the cement foundation.
However, this turned out not to be the case.^29
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