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Insect repellents are
valuable for protection of exposed skin from nasty
mosquitoes; however, some insect repellents actually pose
health concerns that you should be aware of before applying
them to yourself or your children.
The majority of insect repellent brands being sold contain
the chemical DEET, or N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, as it is
chemically known, as their active ingredient. Currently
there are about 39 companies manufacturing over 140 brands
of insect repellent containing DEET in the United States
alone, making it the predominant variety. These repellents
can be found with varying percentages of the pesticide, and
generally, the greater the amount, the greater the potential
for harmful effects.
The Duke University Pharmacology Department conducted a
study in 2002 that showed damage to brain cells in some
laboratory animals due to constant, routine exposure to DEET
based insect repellents. The study went on to conclude that
persistent exposure to insect repellents containing DEET
could lead to symptoms such as frequent headaches, loss of
memory, fatigue and respiratory problems. According to the
testing, children are at an even greater risk because of
their skin's ability to readily absorb the chemicals into
the body. A 2001 Human and Experimental Toxicology report
revealed children becoming ill after DEET exposure and
suggested it was not safe for them in any amount.
Manufacturers of DEET have disagreed with the Duke findings
and point out the testing by the Environmental Protection
Agency has found the chemical to be safe at all dosage
levels for humans when used according to label directions.
However, there have actually been very few studies conducted
on the long-term effects of insect repellents. One of the
problems in determining health issues lies in the fact that
symptoms often do not show up for months or years. One
particular long-term concern is DEET's role in the
development of cancer cells.
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