[pct-l] Bugs

[tdilopct@xxxxxxxxx (Tony DiLorenzo)]

I miss quoted the info on liver damamge. But here is
some info on the toxicity of DEET on adults, children
and animals.  Whatever the numbers may be I still
won't use the stuff.  It melts plastic for goodness
sakes.

Tony

Toxixity of DEET

Dermal application of insect repellents containing
DEET can produce a variety of skin reactions in humans
(see Table 1).  Cases of localized skin irritation,
large painful blisters and permanent scarring of skin
at the crease of the elbow have been reported in
soldiers who applied solutions of 50 or 75 percent
DEET (Lamberg and Mulrennan, l969; Reuveni and
Yagupsky, 1982.  Result from questionnaire surveys
conducted by the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) among Everglades National
Park Employees indicate  variety of dermal reactions
including rashes, irritation of skin and mucous
membranes, and numb or burning sensations of the lips
among park workers who were highly exposed to
DEET-containing repellents (McConnell et al., 1986).
Urticaria or dermatitis. resulting from topical DEET
exposure has been noted in both children and adults
(Maibach and Johnson, 1975; Mayenburg and Rakoski,
1983; Miller, 1982; Oransky et al., 1989; Roland et
al., 1985).  In one instance involving only limited
DEET exposure, the urticaria was accompanied by an
anaphylactic reaction (Miller, 1982).

Controlled human exposure studies using 50 or 75
percent DEET have reproduced many of the dermal
effects noted in field studies (Ambrose et al., 1959;
Lamberg and Mulrennan, 1969).  The U.S. Army conducted
an investigation in volunteers using 75 percent DEET
applied to the upper arm and the elbow's crease.  Of
the 77 volunteers, 37 (48%) had severe dermal
reactions at the crease of the elbow.  No dermal
reactions were observed on the upper arm or in
the control group of men tested with ethanol solvent
alone (Lamberg and Mulrennan, 1969)

Animals topically exposed to DEET have also developed
dermal and ocular reactions.  Dermal effects including
erythema, desquamation and scarring in rabbits
(Ambrose et al, 1959) and profuse sweating, irritation
and exfoliation in horses (Blume et al, 1971; Palmer,
1969) have been reported following repeated
applications of DEET at concentrations of 50 percent
or greater.  Direct ocular application of either
diluted (30 or 40 percent DEET) or undiluted DEET in
rabbits has produced edema, tearing, conjunctivitis,
pus and clouding in the eyes (Ambrose et al., 1959).

Several cases of toxic encephalopathy associated with
the use of DEET in children have been reported in the
medical literature (see Table 2).  The first reported
case involved a 3.5 year old girl whose body,
bedclothes and bedding were sprayed each night for two
weeks with an insect repellent containing 15 percent
DEET (Gryboski et al., 1961).  Since then, five
additional cases of toxic encephalopathy have been
temporally associated with the use of DEET products in
children, all of whom were females (Edwards and
Johnson, 1987; de Garbino et al., 1983; Heick et al.,
1980; Roland et al., 1985; Zadikoff, 1979).  The toxic
encephalopathy was characterized by
agitation, weakness, disorientation, ataxia, seizures,
coma and, in three cases resulted in death.  Autopsies
conducted on two fatalities (Heick et al.,
1980; Zadikoff, 1979) indicated edema of the brain,
with one case presenting necrotic lesions in the
cerebellum and spinal cord and an enlarged liver
accompanied by microscopic changes (Heick et al.,
1980).  One child was reported to be heterozygous for
ornithine carbamoyl transferase deficiency (a sex
linked enzyme deficiency which may produce effects
similar to those reported above) and it has been
hypothesized that children with this enzyme disorder
may be at greater risk of adverse reactions to DEET
(Heick et al., 1980).  This enzyme deficiency which
usually causes infant death in males is of variable
severity in females (Stanbury et al., 1983).
Accidental and deliberate ingestion of DEET-containing
products has produced neurotoxic effects similar to
those described following dermal exposure (Tenenbein
1987, Zadikoff, 1979).

Generalized seizures have also been temporally
associated with the use of DEET-containing insect
repellent on skin (Oransky et al 1989) These cases
differ from those described above in that they
involved males (four boys aged 3-7 years and one
29-year-old adult), had few associated neurotoxic
effects
and resolved rapidly.  Lower exposure to DEET in these
male (four of five males had either one cr two dermal
applications) may have accounted for the effects being
less severe than in females.  That the majority of
identified neurotoxic cases involved children raises
concerns that this subpopulation is at greater risk of
adverse reaction following exposure to DEET than are
adults.

Signs and symptoms of more subtle neurotoxicity have
also been associated with extensive dermal application
of DEET in adults.  Questionnaire results indicate
that Everglades National Park employees having
extensive DEET exposure were more likely to have
insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired
cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers
(McConnellet al., 1986).  A young male who repeatedly
applied DEET to skin prior to spending prolonged
periods in a sauna was reported to develop acute manic

psychosis characterized by aggressive behavior,
delusions and hyperactivity (Snyder et al., 1986).

Recently, numerous cases of neurotoxicity in cats and
dogs have been associated with the topical use of a
product containing both DEET and the pyrethroid
fenvalerate (Dorman et al., 1990; Mount et al., 1991;
U.S. EPA, 1988).  Because of coapplication, the role
of DEET in the development of these effects is not
certain.



--- brick@webrooster.com wrote:
> At 11:06 AM 2/8/03, Tony DiLorenzo wrote:
> >There have also been a number
> >of studies done that do determine that there is
> liver
> >damage after prolong use.
>
> In the billions of uses of DEET over the last 50
> years or so, there have
> been between five and 18 cases (depending on the
> reference ) of suspected
> toxic exposures due to excessive skin absorption of
> diethyltoluamide. Three
> of these resulted in death. It should be made clear
> that these were
> "suspected" There has been no clear cause and effect
> demonstrated.
>
> In  some, but not all, studies, test animals fed
> high doses of DEET
> experienced kidney and liver damage, and decreased
> body weight and food
> consumption.  I don't think I will drink my DEET.
>
> There have been no human studies I could find that
> show DEET is harmful. I
> would be very interested in reading one if you have
> a reference.
>
>  From 1980 through 1995, when 1318 deaths were
> attributed to lightning in
> the USA.
>
> According to the CDC about 9000 people die from
> peanut allergies in the USA
> each year
>
> DEET sounds pretty safe to me.
>
>


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