FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT AERIAL SPRAYING

What pesticide product would be used in the truck-based aerial spraying?

The preferred product used in aerial spraying is called Anvil. Anvil (or similar products) is the same product routinely used in ground spraying. Anvil contains sumithrin, which is a man-made pesticide product similar to the natural components of the chrysanthemum flower that is used to control mosquitoes in outdoor residential and recreational areas. Sumithrin can also be found in other pesticide products used indoors in pet shampoo and lice treatments and on pets to control ticks and insects, such as fleas and ants. Piperonyl butoxide is also an active ingredient in Anvil, acting to increase the ability of sumithrin to kill mosquitoes.

What kinds of health problems can be associated with exposure to Anvil?

In occupational studies where significant exposures occurred, loss of coordination, tremors or tingling and numbness in areas of skin contact have been observed. However, with targeted and appropriate aerial spraying, a very low concentration (a maximum of 0.62 ounces active ingredient per acre) is used and exposure to levels that cause health problems is not expected.

What health impacts among the general population can be expected with the aerial spraying of Anvil?

Due to the very low concentrations of Anvil used to control mosquitoes during aerial spraying, adverse health effects are not expected.

Have studies been conducted on possible health effects following aerial spraying for mosquito control?

Yes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that when administered properly in a mosquito-control program, insecticides pose a low risk for acute, temporary health effects among persons in areas that are being sprayed and among workers handling and applying insecticides. CDC also reported that ultra low volume (ULV) aerial and ground spraying of products similar to Anvil did not result in elevated levels of the pesticides in human tissue in the population living in areas sprayed.

Can exposure to Anvil exacerbate pre-existing conditions?

Yes, for some people, short-term exposure at low levels may exacerbate existing respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma) or cause irritation of the eyes, skin, nose, throat, or lungs. For these reasons, individuals should consider taking steps to minimize their exposure risk to Anvil if it is applied to control mosquitoes. You should call your doctor, go to your local emergency room, or call the Massachusetts Poison Control Center if you believe that you are experiencing any symptoms that may be related to pesticide exposure.

Could there be health concerns if I am pregnant?

As with all chemical exposures, pregnant women should take care to avoid them. Sumithrin is unlikely to affect pregnancy outcomes in people as a result of aerial spraying. Although some effects occurred in laboratory animals that were given large amounts of sumithrin during pregnancy, these amounts far exceeded the amounts that individuals are likely to contact from the proposed aerial spraying of Anvil.

Could the aerial spraying result in long-term health effects?

Sumithrin did not cause cancer in rodents when they were fed high levels for their lifetime. Experimental studies have reported that piperonyl butoxide causes liver tumors in rodents when they are fed high levels of piperonyl butoxide every day for a long period of time. The amount of piperonyl butoxide ingested by animals in these studies, however, far exceeds the amount humans might be exposed to as a result of the aerial use of Anvil to control mosquitoes. Although uncertainties exist, available information indicates that piperonyl butoxide is unlikely to cause cancer in humans as a result of its use to control mosquitoes.

What are the environmental characteristics and impacts of sumithrin?

Sumithrin is rapidly inactivated and decomposed by exposure to light and air with a half-life of less than one day in the air, and on plants and other surfaces subject to sunlight. It does not dissolve easily in water, and is broken down by microorganisms in streams and water bodies that receive sunlight. Thus, residues in water would not be expected. Because of environmental fate and dilution characteristics and the fact that spraying does not occur over drinking water supply reservoirs, opportunities for exposure via drinking water are not expected. Anvil and other pyrethroid pesticides are toxic to terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates (e.g., dragonflies, beetles) and to fish. However, as the size of the fish pool or pond decreases, the risk to the fish increases. The risks to large natural water bodies are minimal. Thus, you may want to cover a small ornamental fish pond in your yard during the night of spraying.

From the Mass. Dept. of Public Health. For more information visit www.mass.gov.