Tuesday March 12, 2024
NW News Network —
Although pesticides can rid your home of cockroaches or farm fields of unwanted insects, they also can harm fish and potentially even people, according to a new study from Oregon State University.
At high concentrations, these commonly used pyrethroid pesticides, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin and cyhalothrin, act as a neurotoxin for pests.
“You’re basically doing an uncontrolled experiment when you spray chemicals like this in your house. It affects other things besides insects,” said Susanne Brander, the study’s co-author and an associate professor at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.
At low concentrations, the pyrethroid pesticides disrupt fish’s endocrine system, which produces hormones. The scientists wanted to better understand how short of an exposure would harm fish.