Guyana has suspended the distribution of the insecticide malathion. This decision follows the publication of a WHO report classifying the biocide as a probable human carcinogen.
Five pesticides, including a molecule present in Roundup, could play a role in the development of certain cancers, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency under the World Health Organization. For this reason, the WHO decided to classify these products as probable carcinogens a few days ago.
Among the substances incriminated is the insecticide malathion, the non-conforming use of which in Guyana has been authorized since an order of August 2014 with the aim of stemming the progression of the chikungunya epidemic.
Guyana suspends malathion spraying
In reaction, the president of the General Council of Guyana announced on Tuesday to Agence France Presse, the “suspension of malathion sprays”. Alain Tien-Liong specified that “the principle of responsibility and precaution obliges us to suspend spraying of this product until we have the State’s decision on this file. ”
The Ministry of Health had in the past recalled that the fight against the so-called vector mosquito, that is to say responsible for the transmission of chikungunya, involves “the eradication of breeding sites and the use of insecticides. to kill adult mosquitoes. However, in Guyana, the eradication of breeding sites is particularly difficult. Moreover, in this region, the vector mosquito is particularly resistant to the insecticide commonly used: deltamethrin.
Environmental associations wind up
Currently, malathion, which is not used in Europe, is criticized by environmental associations. Last August, a citizen petition had already collected a week after it was put online nearly 1,000 signatures for the ban of this insecticide. According to its authors, malathion breaks down into malaoxon, a compound 60 times more toxic for the environment (fruits, vegetables, insects, etc.). The latter would destroy everything in its path.
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