Q: Everybody says that the DEET in bug spray is terrible, however my very own analysis appears to counsel that it’s well-tested and protected. Am I giving myself slightly little bit of most cancers each time I take advantage of it?
A spritz of a DEET-containing bug spray would possibly odor disagreeable, however when used appropriately, DEET’s offensive odor is likely to be its most dangerous impact, mentioned Dr. Joseph Kennedy, a doctor and medical toxicologist on the College of Vermont Medical Middle.
Nonetheless, there’s widespread concern that DEET is likely to be probably poisonous or trigger most cancers, he mentioned, with “so many misperceptions.”
Right here is why folks suppose DEET is unhealthy for human well being, and what we find out about its security.
How does DEET work?
Scientists aren’t precisely positive how DEET repels bugs. However opposite to what many individuals might imagine, DEET shouldn’t be an insecticide, Dr. Kennedy mentioned. It doesn’t kill mosquitoes and isn’t toxic to them. As a substitute, it merely deters them, seemingly with its noxious odor.
“The entire level of smelling disagreeable is you’re not the one one which thinks that,” Dr. Kennedy mentioned. “Bugs do, too,” he mentioned. That features different bugs like ticks, fleas and biting flies.
One other concept about how DEET works is that it masks sure human emissions, like carbon dioxide, which bugs are usually interested in, Dr. Kennedy mentioned.
