Lifestyle
Mosquito coils — how safe is this?
Diseases like Malaria, Filaria, Dengue etc. are transmitted by mosquito bite and the prevalence are significant in Bangladesh. Use of mosquito coil is very common in this country. We have been using it for a long time as they are effective, cheap and easily available mosquito repellent. We rarely do bother about the composition of the product and their safety. Typically they are made of a dried paste of pyrethrum powder. But they may contain Pyrithrum, Pyrithrin, Allethrin, Esbiothrine, Dibutyl Hydroxyl tolune, Piperonyl butoxide etc. All are insecticide. These coils are not safe enough proved by many studies done in different countries. As it is a source of fire, many accidents have already been happened. Burning of the body as well as households happened in many occasion. One mosquito coil produces same amount of particulate mass having diameter 2.5 micrometer, which is produced by 75-137 burning cigarettes. Emission of formaldehyde from one burning coil can be as high as that released from 51 burning cigarettes. Smoke from mosquito coils contains particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, aldehydes, ketones. All are injurious to health. Study not only identified the above ingredients, they also identified a large volatile organic compounds including carcinogens and suspected carcinogens in mosquito coil smoke. So from different studies it is evident that mosquito coils that we use every day are not safe enough. They may aggravate cough, there may be allergic manifestation, eye burning and may produce cancer. So think twice before use it.
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