PHOTO: Synthetic pesticide spray truck. Photo Courtesy of Tim Deschamps/Central Mass. Mosquito Control Project
On second thought…
The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has announced plans to conduct sprayings to combat mosquito breeding and West Nile virus in southern Queens communities that initially were not included on the spraying schedule, according to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach).
The spraying campaign, scheduled for Sept. 1, will now cover the neighborhoods of Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach and Lindenwood.
Goldfeder had requested that the 23rd Assembly District communities be added to the ledger because they have been plagued by frequent flooding and feature several “zombie properties” that were abandoned after Superstorm Sandy.
“For too long, families in southern Queens have been forced to endure growing mosquito populations each time summer rolls around,” Goldfeder said. “This plague threatens our quality of life and increases the risk of deadly West Nile virus, especially for families still struggling from Sandy. I applaud Commissioner [Mary] Bassett and the Health Department for taking a proactive approach to combating mosquito breeding by agreeing to spray in the community.”
According to information provided to Goldfeder, the agency was to have conducted mosquito sprayings on Tuesday, Sept. 1, between 8:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning. In Queens, targeted neighborhoods will include Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park and Woodhaven. In the event of rain, spraying was to be moved to Sept. 2.
For the truck-borne spraying, the department has indicated that it will use a low concentration of Anvil® 10+10, a synthetic pesticide. While the agency asserts the product poses no significant health risk, it recommends families take precautions to minimize direct exposure. This includes staying indoors during spraying, removing children’s toys and outdoor equipment from outdoor areas, and setting air conditioner vents to the closed position or switching units to the re-circulate function.
According to the state Department of Health, Short-term exposures to very high levels of such pesticides can affect the nervous system; effects may include loss of coordination, tremors or tingling and numbness in areas of skin contact. There are no studies examining whether the use of Anvil to control mosquitoes has caused any long-term health effects in humans.
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
