Since Hurricane Maria slammed into and devastated the Island of Puerto Rico, municipalities have been reporting “an alarming increase in mosquitoes.” 1 So, in order to combat the plague, the Health Department announced that spraying will begin in the coming days, thanks to help from the U.S. Department of Defense.RELATED STORY:

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Spraying with the pesticide “Permethrin,” which has been certified as “safe for use” by the EPA will be done first in:

“Aguada, Añasco, Arecibo, Caguas, Canovanas, Cataño, Ceiba, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guánica, Guaynabo, Isabela, Lares, Lajas, Loíza, Luquillo, Mayagüez, Moca, Rincón, Sábana Grande, San Juan, San Germán, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Toa Baja, Yauco, Yabucoa, and the islands of Vieques and Culebra.”2

But just what is this pesticide the EPA calls safe?

“Permethrin is topical insecticide, which is not known to rapidly harm most mammals or birds, but is dangerously toxic to cats and fish. It has a low mammalian toxicity and is poorly absorbed by skin, which has prompted its use to treat head lice and nits, scabies, and various species of ticks. But the strikes against it are significant. Permethrin is a suspected carcinogen, endocrine toxicant, liver toxicant, neurotoxicant and reproductive toxicant.”3

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Why are they spraying a chemical they know is dangerous to fish, on an island in the middle of the ocean?

God help them.

Sources and References

  1. PR Informa, November 9, 2017.
  2. PR Informa, November 9, 2017.
  3. Outdoor Life, April 10, 2012.