In Kazakhstan, issues of environmental safety are of great public interest. One such pressing problem is disinsection, specifically: the preparations used in treatments to protect against leaf-eating and sucking pests.
In the summer of 2023, the editorial team of FBK published a series of articles about what they use to poison insects in the country's regions. We have repeatedly noted how dangerous the pesticides are that, with the approval of local authorities, are used in urban environments, and how negatively these preparations can affect living organisms, including humans.
This year we intend to continue the column and will start it with the preparations used for disinsection in the capital.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Astana, disinsection measures to combat blood-sucking insects are carried out on a regular basis in the city and its surrounding areas from April to October.
Disinsection is planned to be carried out in parks, squares, residential areas, and also on the territory of water bodies. It is reported that the biological preparation 'Baktitsid' is used on water bodies, while the preparation 'Ultragran' is used in open areas.
Both of these preparations were already used in the capital last year. Let us recall their effects. The biological preparation 'Baktitsid' is classified as a safe preparation, whereas 'Ultragran' contains the substances 'Chlorpyrifos' and 'Cypermethrin'. And this is a completely different level of danger for human health.
- Chlorpyrifos increases the likelihood of giving birth to children with autism, and in early childhood causes reduced body weight and impaired cognitive and physical abilities. When affecting an adult, it has a devastating effect on the human cardiovascular, respiratory, and central nervous systems.
- Cypermethrin has a toxic effect on the male reproductive system, contributes to an increase in bone marrow micronuclei and the emergence of suicidal tendencies. The substance negatively affects the central nervous system of mammals and is extremely toxic to cats, fish, bees, and aquatic insects.
It is worth noting that in 2023, in addition to 'Baktitsid' and 'Ultragran', the safe biological preparations 'Ekstrasol' and 'Isabion' were also used in the capital for plant treatment, as well as the pesticides 'Enzhio' and 'Aktara', whose active ingredients also negatively affect people and are extremely harmful to aquatic organisms.
Furthermore, in August of last year, disinsection measures were carried out in the residential areas of the capital, for which the city administration invited local residents to personally verify the quality of the treatment.
The disinsection was carried out using the aforementioned 'Chlorpyrifos' and the preparation 'Malathion', which irritates the skin and mucous membranes and negatively affects the respiratory tract.
The editorial team of FBK, as before, appeals to the city administrations to warn residents about the danger of the preparations used, as well as to notify them of precautionary measures (closing windows at night, not allowing children to play on the grass, etc.) during the period of disinsection.
We also do not lose hope that the city authorities will heed the public's calls to be more socially responsible and think more about the health of the people, and will start using less harmful preparations when treating green spaces.
To be continued ...