Termite Chemical Insecticide – Danger to Planet
March 13th, 2009 Posted in Organic & Chemical Pesticides
Since the 1950’s, termites haven’t stood a chance against pesticide sprays. This is because of the active ingredient sulfuryl fluoride, a colorless, odorless and residue-free chemical compound used as a top-notch fumigant for the critters. Some experts claim that it is just about the only thing that will wipe them out. During fumigation, the building is sealed tight for up to 72 hours, and after the process, must be ventilated for at least 6 hours before stepping foot inside.
If that doesn’t clue you in on the toxicity of sulfuryl fluoride, maybe this will:
On January 21, 2009, University of California (Irvine) chemists informed Bio-Medicine, an internet database containing the latest in biological and medical news and technologies, that through a recent study, they found termite insecticide to be powerful greenhouse gas with an atmospheric lifespan of up to 10 times longer than previous calculations revealed.
What does that mean?
Greenhouse gases located in the atmosphere absorb and emit heat. The most common are:
- water vapor
- carbon dioxide
- methane
- nitrous oxide
- ozone
- CFCs
The increase in concentration of greenhouse gases is closely linked to the current concern of global temperature. Sulfuryl fluoride can remain in our atmosphere from 30 to 100 years, which greatly increases the effect of global warming. Although not as readily found in the atmosphere, it has much more power in terms of heat absorption and emission than carbon dioxide, 4,000 times more power to be exact.
Donald Blake, another author of the study asserted that “the only place where the planet is able to emit heat that escapes the atmosphere is in the region that sulfuryl fluoride blocks. If we put something with this blocking effect in that area, then we’re in trouble.” And that is exactly what we’re doing!
How did they come up with these numbers?
Their study was simple. It included a Pyrex tupperware container filled with atmospheric gases. Lamps were placed above the container as a sunlight substitute, thus causing the needed chemical reactions.
Mads Sulbaek Andersen, leading author of the study, claimed “Sulfuryl fluoride has a long enough lifetime in the atmosphere that we cannot just close our eyes. The level in the atmosphere is rising fast, and it doesn’t seem to disappear very quickly.”
Sulfuryl fluroide’s demand in the insecticide world also worries the authors- especially since 60% of its usage is in the state of California alone.
F. Sherwood Rowland, the third author of the study, reminds us that “this is a cautionary paper. It tells us that we need to be thinking globally and acting locally.”
Their entire study can be found here.
Alyse Popp
