Pet flea collars will no longer contain toxic pesticide carbaryl as of 2010
Studies show certain flea and tick collars can spread pesticides to children and others who interact with pets.
Flea and tick collars will become a little less toxic as of September, 2010, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently that carbaryl will not be used in pet collars sold in the U.S. The Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC, considers carbaryl as "highly toxic".
Flea Control Becomes a Little Less Toxic
In 2005 NRDC filed a petition with the EPA to cancel use of carbaryl in pet flea collars due to the high exposures to children and pets. In 2006 all pet products with carbaryl except collars were voluntarily cancelled by manufacturers. Wellmark International was the only remaining manufacturer. NRDC sued EPA in 2007 for unreasonable delay in responding to the petition. EPA denied the petition in 2008. NRDC released its report named "Poison on Pets II" in 2009 providing documentation of high chemical residue levels on the fur of pets that wore flea collars. Recently, EPA announced that Wellmark International has withdrawn its pet collar uses, effective September, 2010.
NRDC reports pet collars are toxic to both pets and humans
The NRDC study indicated that dangerously high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog's or cat's fur for weeks after a flea collar is applied. The report found that residues from two pesticides used in flea collars, tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur, among the most dangerous pesticides still legally on the market, were high enough to pose risk to both children and adults who play with their pets. NRDC is now calling on the EPA to ban both these pesticides from pet products.
Carbaryl has a trade name 'Sevin'. It is a broad-spectrum insecticide used on lawns and gardens and agriculture crops that include apples, pecans, grapes, alfalfa, oranges, and corn. About 3.9 million pounds of carbaryl are used annually in the U.S. Agriculture consumes one half of the chemical and the other half is for non-agriculture uses.
The Green Way to Prevent Fleas and Ticks on Your Dog
Comments