Pyriproxyfen

??When I used the public toilet in the country park, there was a special device grabbing my attention which was a mosquito trap. The instruction mentioned a pesticide which is called Pyriproxyfen. Due to the unique shape and also the serious mosquito problems in summer now, it inspires me to research this chemical. It turns out that this mosquito trap was introduced by the FEHD in the Netherlands for testing in 2019 and has been used in many rural areas and some city areas. (News.gov.hk,2019) This post will share the risks and benefits of using Pyriproxyfen as a pesticide and comment on it.?

Application and Background

??Pyriproxyfen is an insect growth regulator. It mimics natural insect hormones, preventing larvae from maturing into adults. If the insect is touched or eaten, it can interfere with egg laying and hatching and prevent the larvae from growing into adults. This prevents target insects from reproducing. (Cross et al.2015) As a pesticide, it is commonly used for controlling public health and insect problems globally because of the low environmental risk.?

Risks to human health and the natural environment

• Potential risk on non-target aquatic organisms

Potential risks on development and behavior depend on species (Moura et al.,2019)

• Long-term and high-concentration exposure effects on human

Potential endocrine disruptor by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Cross et al.2015)

Benefits to human health and the natural environment

• Effective mosquito control
• Low toxicity to humans and other mammals

Non-irritating and non-carcinogenic (Cross et al.2015)

• Low environmental impact compared to other traditional pesticides
• Multifunction?

Used in agriculture, vector control, and drinking water

• Rapid break-down?

Break down by body when intake

Break down by sunlight and soil (Cross et al.2015)

Comment?

??In short, the widespread use of Pyriproxyfen proves that the benefits are greater than the risks. The World Health Organization(WHO) also considers Pyriproxyfen as vector control in drinking water. (WHO,2024) Meanwhile, using Pyriproxyfen products should follow the application procedures and proper handling to prevent potential risks in suggested concentrations. In Hong Kong, Pyriproxyfen is on the Registered Pesticides List in AFCD and controlled under the ‘Pesticides Ordinance (Cap. 133)’.(AFCD,2024)? Moreover, the Centre for Food Safety and FEHD monitors the concentration of chemicals in food including Pyriproxyfen under ‘The Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM)’.(Centre for Food Safety,2017) Both are to ensure the safety of using those chemicals. Under the proper use by the organization and the government, Pyriproxyfen is useful and safe to be used especially in current disease epidemics.

Using GenAI Reflection

??GenAI is a useful technique for us to undergo some research that is better than normal browsers. The Gen AI can filter and select the more related information. However, it may not be 100% accurate so double-checks are needed to ensure the accuracy and review the searched information by ourselves. Furthermore, Gen AI can assist in the generation of AI images to beautify our design.

Reference

AFCD. (2024). Pesticide control and related information. https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/qua_pesticide/qua_pes_pes/qua_pes_pes.html

Centre for Food Safety. (2017). Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation. https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/mrl/index.php

Chemical C. H. (n.d.). Chung Hsi Chemical. Chung Hsi Chemical. https://www.chunghsi.com.tw/en

Cross, A.; Bond, C.; Buhl, K.; Stone, D. 2015. Pyriproxyfen General Fact Sheet; National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University Extension Services. https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pyriprogen.html.

In2Care. (2017). In2Care Mosquito Trap. https://www.in2care.org/wp-content/media/In2Care-Mosquito-Trap-Factsheet_Dec-2017_US.pdf

Moura, J. A. S., & Souza-Santos, L. P. (2020). Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pyriproxyfen in non-target aquatic organisms. Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 222, 105448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105448

News.gov.hk. (2019). New tool boosts mosquito control. https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2019/04/20190418/20190418_101945_339.html

PetMarket. (2024). CattyMan - 藥用除蝨驅蚊頸帶[可調節長度][貓用] | PetMarket. https://www.petmarket.com.hk/product/cattyman-%E8%97%A5%E7%94%A8%E9%99%A4%E8%9D%A8%E9%A9%85%E8%9A%8A%E9%A0%B8%E5%B8%B6%E5%8F%AF%E8%AA%BF%E7%AF%80%E9%95%B7%E5%BA%A6%E8%B2%93%E7%94%A8/

WHO. (2024). Pyriproxyfen. https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/chemical-hazards-in-drinking-water/pyriproxyfen

光華化學. (n.d.). Kuang Hwa Chemical Co., Ltd. - Insecticide,Fungicide. Copyrights ? Kuang Hwa Chemical Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. https://www.agridoctor.com.tw/index.aspx?lang=U

Janet C. Racliffe Lai