...of the insecticide spray Malathion. Malathion is a pesticide, and an extremely powerful one at that. Malathion is a toxic chemical and the impact it has on society's health is almost as great as impact of mosquito-borne diseases, like the West Nile which Genericville also has reported cases of every summer. According to a study done in 2000 by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, laboratory animals exposed to the chemicals were found to have developed tumors . Another potential hazard is the potential 90 cases of Malathion related illnesses of which four could be fatal. A study done by Cornel University states that Malathion is moderately toxic to birds. The study also showed that the pesticide is highly toxic to honey bees, some species of fish and to aquatic invertebrates. The potential hazard to both the people of Genericville and to the wildlife is not a risk I am willing to take. I do not feel that the pros of spraying Malathion out weigh the cons. There have not been enough studies done on the effects, both short and long term, of Malathion to prove it is a safe chemical. The studies I have seen show cases where Malathion has killed wildlife and created health problems for those exposed. An article by a Los Angeles University shows a definitehealth risk of Malathion. The study shows that kids that had been exposed to Malathion during the period of pregnancy had way more gastrointestinal disorders compared to kids that had not been exposed to this chemical during pregnancy. These same types of studies show what exposure to Malathion can do to both humans and the ecological system. Things like tumors, kidney and lung damage, intestinal disorders in children, birth defects in humans and animals, brain damage and worse of all death. These effects are proof that exposure to this particular pesticide is harmful to the people of Genericville. For...
