10 August 2005
BEIRUT: The peak of summer is fast approaching. And though political uncertainty may have affected the migratory habits of tourists, it doesn't seem to have bothered the flies or the mosquitoes. The Beirut municipality has been following its usual tactic of sending out fumigation trucks to deal with this insect problem. These trucks drive through the streets with a contraption mounted in the back that emits a cloud of pesticides the way the old Mercedes taxis used to spew diesel fumes. The idea is to purge large areas of the city of flying pests.
The machine in the back of the truck is known as a "fogger," which sprays out the white cloud that has become a familiar scene around Downtown Beirut. The pesticides and delivery system are provided by Boecker, a Lebanese-owned pest-control company. Boecker has been servicing and providing training for the municipality in addition to being its supplier, and has given the city a special offer to make sure that the cost falls within their limited budget.
"The project is not new, it has been going on for the past 30 years," said Joseph Saad, who has been with the municipality for 35 years. "It is the municipality's responsibility to cleanse the environment and combat insects."
However, some are concerned that spraying pesticides onto city streets where pedestrians walk every day is potentially harmful, and they feel that alternatives should be found. After all, if this pesticide kills insects, what's to say that it isn't harmful to humans and household pets?
The chemical pesticide currently being used in Beirut is a mix of a pyrethroid pesticide known as Icon EC and "green oil" - a mineral oil developed by Boecker.
"The particles which are released in the fogger are effective for about 48 hours," said Information Manager Carla Abdo. "After that, the particles are completely degraded."
The green oil is what creates the white smoke, which is necessary to diffuse the pesticide. Since it is a mineral oil, it does not pollute as much as its predecessor - diesel oil - which is still used by some municipalities. Green oil, however, is 50 percent more expensive than diesel. Boecker President Michel Bayoud speculates that this is the reason Lebanon's other municipalities, who have even smaller operating budgets, are unwilling to use the cleaner alternative.
Pyrethroid pesticides are known for having a low toxicity to humans, and have little effect on air quality because they degrade quickly, especially when exposed to high temperatures and sunlight. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pyrethroids - when used as directed - can be used for public health mosquito control programs without posing "unreasonable risks" to human health. However, pyrethroids are thought "to pose slight risks of acute toxicity to humans - but at high doses, pyrethroids can affect the nervous system."
Greenpeace says they have received several anecdotal reports of pigeons and fish dying in their tanks and cages directly after the spraying. However, there is no concrete evidence linking the spraying pyrethroid to the deaths of these animals. The pesticides are known to be extremely toxic to fish, but are supposed to pose little or no threat to birds.
Despite the municipality's efforts, some question the validity of the project, claiming that it is not the right way to approach the problem and that it may not be as safe as advertised.
Greenpeace strongly opposes the use of any pesticides on city streets. President Wael Hmaidan links the amount of insects to the serious waste problem in Beirut. "The real issue is that we are not properly managing our waste problem, which allows insects to breed in large numbers," he said.
Greenpeace recently embarked on a "Zero-Waste" management campaign that calls for separating out organic waste and ensuring that it is picked up quickly in order to help prevent insect breeding. Greenpeace is working with the Environment Ministry to have these initiatives implemented as soon as possible.
Hmaidan added that another reason for population increase among airborne insects is the lack of insect predators, such as birds. There would be more birds if there were more green areas for them in the city.
"You have to look at the causes of an abnormal insect population if you want to eliminate the threats that they might cause." Hmaidan added that these problems are more than a mere nuisance, since climate change is allowing mosquitoes and flies to carry diseases across greater distances. Treatment of large areas is difficult and expensive, but the municipality has yet to find an effective long-term solution. In the meantime, Beirutis will be left to seek relief in the fogger.
