It was a beautiful summer afternoon when my young brother and I were riding bikes around the neighborhood. Suddenly a utility truck of some sort passed by us, and I was instantly assaulted with a noxious odor and taste in my mouth. We were caught off guard and worse we were stuck on a street we couldn’t escape from. Reluctantly we were sprayed with who knows what. The heat, mugginess, and physical activity had us breathing hard and sucking in the now chemical laden air.
I was flabbergasted and irate, so I immediately started looking for answers. What I found out was that although many people were aware of a pesticide truck spraying, few if any knew what was actually being put into the air. There were no community boards, signs, or websites to direct me. Not sure where to get the information I wanted, I called the local street department and learned what product was being used, and some restrictions to spraying such as wind speed and humidity.
Unsatisfied with these results I started my own research. I read chemistry books and scientific journals every chance I could, carrying stacks of papers out on my lunch breaks. Using my job to it’s full advantage, I talked to professionals in the chemistry field that analytically test insecticides and herbicides. As professionals they must follow EPA regulations on handling these chemicals. To do their job correctly these scientists have to understand the properties and behaviors of pesticides. For instance it's helpful to know if chemicals are more harmful if inhaled, how well they absorb through skin, and how long they last in different environments such as soil or water.
In the meantime, I filed a freedom of information request with my local village. Specifically I requested the material safety data sheet on the chemicals being sprayed by the truck. The MSDS is used to acquire information such as the identification, chemical qualities, and hazards. The MSDS that I received stated the chemicals were permethrin and piperonyl butoxide. I was assured by many that these chemicals were among the least toxic on the market, but the MSDS stated they could cause allergic reaction, skin/eye irritation. Large doses of permethrin in lab animals had produced diarrhea, bloody nose, and tremors.
My local insecticide sprayer had told me that only a couple people had previously complained about it. One was an elderly couple that said it incited asthma attacks and another had complained about it causing a rash on their dog. The truck sprayer had also told me that often he would see kids running behind the truck trying to get sprayed.
During my research I found that the E.P.A. classifies permethrin as a possible human carcinogen on the basis of animal studies in which mice developed tumors from high dose levels. The EPA states that permethrin is highly toxic to freshwater and aquatic organisms. It is highly toxic to honeybees and other beneficial insects. The EPA also states that permethrin is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds, and that it should not be applied or allowed to drift on these crops or weeds while bees are actively visiting the treated area.
Locally, the village board quickly decided to end the insecticide truck shortly after I asked for the MSDS. Before I could even attend a board meeting, they called me and stated they would finish the chemicals already bought and would buy no more, spending the money otherwise. I never saw the truck again.
After decades of use pesticides have infiltrated the soil, the water supplies, and our own bodies. For decades to come, we will have to unravel and undo these damages caused. The high costs of pesticides comes not in the name of saving the homeless and the hungry, but to fill the pockets of all those that don't give a damn about you.
