As if Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that ensued wasn\u2019t destructive enough, the United States Air Force decided to spray a toxic pesticide over 600,000 acres of the Houston, Texas area on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
The reason? To supposedly combat the potential rise of any disease-carrying mosquitoes in the wake of the storm.<\/p>\n
According to a statement from the Harris County Public Health Department:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe insecticide, Dibrom (EPA-approved), is routinely used for aerial spray operations to combat mosquito-borne disease and will be used during the spray operation in Harris County.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDibrom is considered safe for the environment and is applied by licensed applicators, according to the label instructions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Despite the reassurances, multiple studies have shown potential negative health consequences for humans exposed to these chemicals.<\/p>\n One recent research effort concluded that babies living in China who were most exposed to Dibrom were at a greater risk of accruing deterioration to their motor skills.<\/p>\n Infants with the highest exposure performed 3% to 4% lower on tests measuring basic physical motions of the face, hands, fingers, and mouth when compared to those receiving the least amount of exposure.<\/p>\n Similarly, in 2012, the European Commission stated that \u201ctype 18 biocidal products containing naled pose a potential and unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n