Ticks at Binbrook Hamilton

[MuskieBait]

(05-28-2015 01:50 AM)Latenightcam Wrote:  

(05-25-2015 07:30 AM)Eli Wrote:  Deet is carcinogenic. Use citronella instead.
The tick population is exploding right across the continent. Another fun way to celebrate climate change.

Deet is approved by Health Canada and widely accepted as a good repellent against mosquitos and ticks.

Carcinogenicity:
Animals

Researchers fed DEET to male and female rats in the diet for two years at doses of 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg/day, and 30, 100, or 400 mg/kg/day, respectively. Researchers fed mice 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg/day for 18 months, and dogs 30, 100, or 400 mg/kg/day. No specific target organ toxicity or oncogenicity was observed in any of the animals.14

Researchers often use studies designed to test for mutagenicity to screen chemicals for carcinogenicity. Sufficient evidence indicates that DEET does not have significant potential for mutagenicity.15
Humans

The U.S. EPA classified DEET as "Group D - not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity" based on inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity, or lack of data in laboratory animals and humans.1 See the text box on Cancer.

Interesting looking at the studies done.

1) The studies were done by feeding DEET to mice or dogs. Unless you plan to drink DEET, it is not that relevant to human use for DEET. Babies, kids and perhaps adults could potentially ingest DEET by accident, so there is some interest to know DEET's mutagenicity when ingested. But there should be studies included to study skin application of DEET.

2) At the dosage used in the study, even the minimum amount of DEET used was substantially higher than what human would use or ingest. DEET has a solubility of >1g/L (or >1mg/ml). Assuming if DEET is only soluble at 1mg/ml, a 10mg/kg/day dose in mice extended to a 50kg human adult is equivalent to ingesting 500ml of DEET per day. That is a LOT of DEET.

In any case, just like any other chemical substances...use in moderation even if it is "harmless"...even the chemical H2O can and will kill you if used in excess.